Colourful Sydney publisher Theo Skalkos is in legal hot water again, but those familiar with his insatiable appetite for courtroom stoushes will be expecting him to once again channel his inner-Houdini.
Fairfax Media reported this week that Skalkos, 83, had been charged with committing an act of indecency with a teenager of unspecified sex. A former bankrupt, Skalkos is alleged to have engaged in the act with a 19-year-old at Mascot on February 4.
Dubbed ‘Earthquake’ due to his thunderous presence in his company’s office, Skalkos has an uncanny knack of finding his way out of the gravest of legal difficulties.
In another sex-related court matter dating back to 2003, Skalkos was accused of indecent assault in relation to a former employee. Skalkos ultimately made his getaway, unscathed – thanks to the talents of legendary barrister Jim Conomos, who convinced the magistrate the 35-year-old alleged victim had been motivated by greed.
One of his most famous court losses dates back to the 1980s, when celebrated Australian Cypriot television producer and football entrepreneur Harry Michaels sued The Greek Herald for defamation and managed to extract $150k in damages from Skalkos after launching legal proceedings in NSW.
To avoid similar payouts in other states, Skalkos changed the name of the paper to the Hellenic Herald. In 2012, Skalkos yet again faced court on firearm charges after allegedly levelling a double-barrelled shotgun at a tradesman chasing him for almost $25, 000 in unpaid work performed on his Mascot office.
Skalkos allegedly ripped up an invoice presented to him by plumber James Hasapis, telling him, “if you come back I will cut off your legs”.
In Waverley Local Court, Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge found Skalkos “probably” did assault Hasapis, but it had not been established, beyond reasonable doubt, and because the accused was “a person of otherwise excellent good character”, she wasn’t satisfied he committed the offence. In separate charges Skalkos was convicted and fined $1,200 with $81 court costs on the firearms charge of failing to keep the shotgun and ammunition secure after pleading guilty.
Skalkos pleaded not guilty to the latest charge laid against him in a Sydney court on Monday and will reappear on September 14.
