Owners responsible for illegal demolition of Corkman Pub sentenced

Owners responsible for illegal demolition of Corkman Pub sentenced

By Katie Johnson

The owners responsible for the illegal demolition of Carlton’s Corkman Irish Pub have been ordered to pay $250,000 in legal costs, fined $150,000 and sentenced to one month in prison for failing to comply with an order from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

The 158-year-old Leicester Place pub was illegally destroyed in 2016 by developers Raman Shaqiri and Stefce Kutlesovski, breaching the City of Melbourne’s (CoM) planning laws.

Speaking late last year, Minister for Planning Richard Wynne said the outcome was well deserved.

“These developers deserve this outcome. They have trashed Victoria’s heritage, refused to build a park, and shirked their legal obligations at every step,” Mr Wynne said.

In 2016 the men pled guilty to breaching building and planning laws when they knocked down the historic Carlton pub.

They were fined more than $1 million and found themselves subject to legal action brought by the council and the Victorian Government.

In December last year the men also failed to clear the demolition site so it could be transformed into a public park and were fined $400,000 for not complying with VCAT orders.

President of the tribunal Justice Michelle Quigley found that the developers had wilfully and deliberately failed to clear the Carlton site and make it available for public recreation.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp welcomed the outcome as the developers prevented the public from using the space.

“We took on these proceedings in the public interest because it’s completely unacceptable to ignore a court ruling,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Today’s decision vindicates the court’s authority and sends a clear message that we won’t tolerate developers disobeying a court order.”

The Corkman Pub, formerly known as the Carlton Inn Hotel, was built in 1858 and was covered by heritage rules.

The state government had originally wanted the developers to rebuild the Corkman, but that plans were abandoned after the enforcement order to do so was deemed “not legally sound”.

It was demolished over the course of a weekend in 2016, a week after a fire was lit inside the building.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said she hoped the site would be cleared swiftly so that it could be used as a public space.

“We look forward to seeing the site cleaned up and available for the public to enjoy.” •

Like us on Facebook