The Brighton mansion of embattled property developer Simon Pitard was firebombed on Tuesday in what police described as a “targeted arson attack”.
The offenders rammed the front gates of the Manor Street residence at about 1.20am and poured accelerant along the driveway and on two luxury cars, which were both destroyed in the blaze.
“Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident which is believed to be targeted,” a police spokesman said.
Police confirmed that no one was injured in the attack.
The sprawling property near Brighton’s “Golden Mile” was purchased by Pitard’s wife, Skye Pitard, for $9.1 million in 2016.
The couple did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
In 2022, Simon Pitard was banned from managing any corporation for three and a half years, following the collapse of Steller Property Group in 2019 with debts of $617 million. The 44-year-old was director of more than 40 companies that were placed into liquidation.
Pitard co-founded Steller Group with Melbourne businessman Nicholas Smedley and was involved in the restoration and redevelopment of the Continental Hotel in Sorrento when it went into administration.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission found Steller Cranes Pty Ltd, a subsidiary company of the Steller Group, had not kept accurate books or records, had lent funds to related entities without appropriate assessment and had failed to make timely payments to the tax office.
At the time of his disqualification, Pitard blamed the collapse on “unfortunate market forces, and relationship and related issues.”
“I do not accept any allegations of dishonesty or intentional misconduct or wrongdoing made against me,” Pitard told property industry publication The Urban Developer in 2022.
Pitard remains at the centre of a Federal Court claim by liquidators against a company called JOD Purchasing and Supply, which was originally part of Steller Group’s building arm, but later changed its name to Goliath Construction Group and later to Multitude, before it collapsed in 2023.
Pitard was a director of JOD from 2016 to 2021, before it was placed into liquidation with debts of $7.5 million, including more than $1 million in unpaid wages to dozens of employees.
Liquidator Con Kokkinos of Worrells is examining transactions worth $1.2 million made before the company’s liquidation, along with $2.4 million in asset deals to related firms, and $74 million in intercompany transfers.
Kokkinos declined to comment when contacted by The Age.
Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for our breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.