Conditsis

Manny Conditsis

In 1997, the public’s national attention focused on the firm as a result of a successful verdict given in the highly publicised “Dean Waters Case”. The accused, Dean Waters, was one of three brothers who were all famous boxers in their own right and who were trained by their father, Ces Waters.  Together they formed a “family dynasty in boxing”.

Dean Waters was originally charged with murder in 1988 but not committed for trial. He later came forward entirely of his own volition in 1996 to confess his guilt. Notwithstanding his confession, a psychiatric defence was run at trial in the Supreme Court and he was acquitted and walked out a free man!

This case attracted much media interest, including segments on 60 Minutes and A Current Affair.

Trial Advocate – Manny Conditsis

A battered spouse was charged with the stabbing murder of her husband, although she had no recollection of and did not believe that she committed the offence.   After a six week trial in the Supreme Court, the jury acquitted our client, likely on the basis of self defense.

This case attracted much media interest, including segments on 60 Minutes and A Current Affair.

Samar Singh-Panwar was the solicitor for a young teenager in a 2003 Supreme Court Murder case.  The judge directed the jury to return a verdict of  ‘not guilty’ after only the second day of the trial.

The judge told the jury; “there is not sufficient evidence to refute that the accused was acting in self-defence”.

Trial Advocate – Manny Conditsis

Solicitor – Samar Singh-Panwar

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) charged 5 co-accused with conspiring to import 40kg of the powder into Australia by ship from Europe. Manny Conditsis and Samar Singh-Panwar represented one of the accused, who worked on the wharves at Port Botany. Each of the other co-accused were represented by separate trial lawyers.

The AFP poured endless resources into trying to establish the guilt of all those charged. The trial was conducted over 3 long months in a special court of the District Court in Sydney. The atmosphere in the courtroom was most intense and the charges and the case presented by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions made the trial particularly complicated.

The trial involved Serbian translators countless expert witnesses, in the fields of DNA, mobile phone technology, forensic police and so on. During the trial one of the co-accused pleaded guilty. That had a significant impact on the course of the trial and made the trial even more tense.

Part of our client’s case was that he was a simple man with an intellectual disability and that he didn’t have any knowledge of the import, notwithstanding that he was caught carrying one of the bags (20kg) out of Port Botany. Our client’s defence was that he was asked by his boss of many years to carry a bag out to the car park and that is what he did, and that he didn’t know that the bag contained drugs.

Of the remaining 4 co-accused, 3 the jury found guilty. In relation to our client, the jury was undecided and accordingly, the jury was ‘hung’. After persistently submitting to the Commonwealth DPP that the charge against our client should be withdrawn, it agreed. All the other co-accused have been served to lengthy terms of imprisonment. Our client is a free man!

Solicitor Advocate – Samar Singh-Panwar

Samar Singh-Panwar acted for an elderly gentleman in a tragic case where his driving caused the death of his wife and lifelong partner.

Samar successfully submitted to the court that the ultimate leniency should be given to the man, arguing that the moral sense of the community did not demand any further punishment in the matter.

The charge was dismissed without conviction and Samar’s client was allowed to retain his licence and his unblemished criminal record.

Trial Advocate – Manny Conditsis

Solicitor – Natasha Konic

An elderly man was charged with alleged sexual offences.

We were able to satisfy the jury that the complainant had ulterior motives in making the complaints and Manny Conditsis and Natasha Konic spent many hours pouring over loads of documents that we had subpoenaed. The documents established that the complainant had told a series of lies about various matters and that it was virtually impossible for the offences to have occurred as alleged by her.

After less than a day of deliberations the jury accepted the submissions of Manny Conditsis and acquitted our client.

Trial Advocate – Manny Conditsis

Solicitor – Natasha Konic

A young man was charged with dangerous driving causing the death of a motorcyclist, when the collision occurred with his car being on the wrong side of the road. If he had been convicted he would have gone to gaol for some years. Manny Conditsis strongly cross examined the prosecution’s expert witness (in the absence of the jury), after which he asked the trial judge not to allow that evidence to be heard by the jury. The trial judge agreed. Manny Conditsis then sought and obtained a direction from the trial judge to the jury, to acquit the young man. The young man was acquitted.

Trial Advocate – Manny Conditsis

Solicitor – Samar Singh-Panwar

A bizarre case where our client was found dazed and confused in a strangers house, having a shower in the early hours of the morning. Not surprisingly our client asked to leave the premises and he did so. The occupants then found the pills in a plastic resealable bag in the bathroom and called the police.

Our two Accredited specialists, Manny Conditsis and Samar Singh-Panwar worked on this case and had to backtrack our client’s movements to the prior evening. A significant number of the jury appeared to accept Manny Conditsis’ submissions to them that our client’s beer at a hotel the night before had been spiked.

It was suggested to the jury that there were two alternative scenarios indicating our client’s innocence. The first was that the drugs likely belonged to the teenage occupant of the house. Alternatively, if the jury believed our client had brought the drugs into the house, that they must have been put into his pocket by people he had been with, as they fled the scene of a car accident as police had been called.

The trial resulted in a hung jury and later, the DPP withdrew the charge of Supply.

Solicitor Advocate – Samar Singh-Panwar

Samar Singh-Panwar regularly takes on the big insurance companies and wins, especially in building and construction matters.

Over the years he has taken on all the large Home Owner Warranty companies successfully, where they have refused to indemnify beneficiaries.

Trial Advocate – Manny Conditsis

Numerous Co-Accused faced a 5 month trial in the Supreme Court and whilst they were acquitted of murder they were all found guilty of manslaughter and are serving lengthy sentences of imprisonment.

Our client was charged with the murder of one alleged victim and maliciously wounding another. Manny Conditsis was able to get our client bail and later, tried to persuade the DPP that the Crown case was weak and that it should withdraw both charges. The DPP wouldn’t budge as DNA evidence of our client was found at the scene of the crime.

Manny successfully challenged the importance of the DNA evidence and we called Professor Brian McDonald, a renowned DNA expert to give evidence at the committal Hearing. Manny strongly cross examined the DNA expert witness relied upon by the Crown as well as the crime scene investigative police.  The Magistrate agreed that the Crown case against our client was weak and dismissed both charges against our client. Manny pressed for an order for costs and a substantial amount was awarded in favour of our client!