VIC: Armed robbery charges against Boutsianis resurrected

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-1999
VIC: Armed robbery charges against Boutsianis resurrected

By Paul Millar

MELBOURNE, April 15 AAP - Armed robbery charges against National Soccer League star Con
Boutsianis have been resurrected and he is to face the Victorian County Court.

The charges against Boutsianis, now a striker with Perth Glory, were dismissed in the
Melbourne Magistrates' Court in December.

But the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said today it had reviewed the case
and would present the 27-year-old directly to the County Court, probably later this month.

A DPP spokesperson said he had been charged with armed robbery and false imprisonment.

James Andretti, 38, of Endeavour Hills, has been charged with the same offences.

Boutsianis and Andretti were originally charged with robbing the headquarters of the Shark
Fin restaurant in Melbourne's Chinatown in January last year.

In May, while on bail, Boutsianis scored the winning goal for South Melbourne in the
Ericsson Cup grand final.

South Melbourne refused to renew his contract and he was later transferred to Perth Glory
where he has been in sensational form, scoring 10 goals in Perth's charge to its first ever
finals.

At a committal hearing in December, Melbourne Magistrate Barbara Cotterell said a properly
instructed jury could not convict the men after hearing the evidence of the owner of the
restaurant chain, James Sui.

AAP ppm/sp/it

KEYWORD: BOUTSIANIS

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