Developers accused of illegally demolishing historic pub handed record fines

The developers accused of illegally demolishing the Corkman Irish Pub have been handed record fines for the illegal disposal of waste, including asbestos.

The waste – including about a shopping bag full of asbestos – was found dumped at a construction site at Cairnlea about a week after Carlton’s near 160 year old Corkman Irish Pub was illegally torn down in October 2016.

While sentencing the two developers and their company, Magistrate Richard Pithouse said they put the health of the community at risk for their own commercial gain.

He said had it not been for the lack of teeth in the state’s environmental laws, he would be sentencing both men to prison.

Instead he fined each of them a record $120,000 and the company $330,000.

The case over the demolition of the pub is still before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.