A former chief executive has denied breaching a restraining order in place to protect a top model while attending a popular Sydney festival. Photo / Getty Images
A former chief executive has denied breaching a restraining order in place to protect a top model while attending a popular Sydney festival. Photo / Getty Images
Just moments after his name was cleared in court, a former chief executive has been arrested on stalking allegations.
On Thursday, Benjamin Reeves was “vindicated” when police officers dropped charges against him for stalking Australian model and reality TV star Simone Holtznagel.
Police initially alleged that the businessman was obsessed with Holtznagel and proceeded to stalk the former Playboy model from April to July 2022 in Sydney’s CBD and eastern suburbs.
Reeves vehemently denied the accusations against him and the charges were withdrawn by police, who were instructed to pay for his legal costs.
In a shocking turn of events, the former Australian Association of Graduate Employers chief executive was arrested after his lawyers had released a statement saying he was “extremely glad” that the accusations were behind him.
Police claim that Reeves consciously breached an interim personal violence order put in place by Holtznagel on Wednesday at 6.20pm.
Simone Holtznagel attends The Talks: Opening Reception during Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2023. Photo / Getty Images
Osman Samin, Reeves’ lawyer, said that his client innocently attended Sydney’s Vivid festival with 3.18 million other attendees when he had been seen by Holtznagel.
Reeves, 59, did not appear in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, however, his attorney told the court he would refute the claims against him.
“I am instructed to enter a plea of not guilty to the one and only count,” he said.
Reeves was granted bail following his arrest and will remain on conditional liberty until he appears in court.
On Monday, Samin said police had requested an interim apprehended violence order, however, it had been rejected.
Samin said in a statement that the timing of the charge was “incredible”.
Benjamin Reeves: Ex-CEO cleared of stalking Australian top model Simone Holtznagel https://t.co/Te82gic3qN
— Breaking Bread Crumbs (@ERN_Malleyscrub) June 16, 2023
“Last Thursday, Mr Reeves walked out of the Downing Centre Local Court a vindicated man,” the lawyer said.
“Later that same afternoon, the police decided to again charge Mr Reeves because Ms Holtznagel observed him [and, of course, thousands of others] in attendance at Vivid Sydney.”
The attorney went on to say that it was “astonishing” that his client was being prosecuted again so quickly after his name had been cleared.
“The court made serious findings about the merits of the initial prosecution involving Ms Holtznagel,” he said.
“Mr Reeves maintains his innocence and once again looks forward to clearing his name.”
The latest charge comes after Holtznagel’s stalking accusations were deemed “demonstrably unreliable” in court.
The model had alleged that Reeves had stared at her and had maintained eye contact in six different instances, either when passing each other on the street or at a Bondi bar.
Magistrate Glenn Bartley stated that CCTV footage disproved two of the accusations made by Holtznagel, which were the only occasions filmed by security cameras.
Defence lawyer Steven Boland claims that the examples she used could have been coincidental, since they occurred in some of Sydney’s busiest locations.
He slammed the stalking allegations as “embarrassingly lacking in objective support [and] utterly incapable of succeeding”.
“You shouldn’t be able to commit stalking by accident,” he said.
Bartley chimed in, adding that there had not been “adequate scrutiny” and demanded police pay the former chief executive’s legal costs – in excess of $36,000 (NZ$39,000) – as compensation for the unreasonable charges.
