Top Sydney chef and son arrested

Sydney chef Darren Elmes and his son Franklin, a former private schoolboy have been arrested and charged with assault.

The assault allegedly happened on Australia Day night between 7.55pm and 8.30pm on January 26 at North Bondi. This was around the same time as the alleged assaults by Darren’s son Franklin Elmes, 19.

The New Zealand-born executive chef has been charged with assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty and resisting or hindering police.

 Elmes’ lawyer Matt Lorkin has alleged that the 59-year-old chef, who  formerly worked at iconic Bondi bar and restaurant Ravesi’s, was “tasered and maced” by police during the incident.

Elmes’ son Franklin is a former student and rugby star of exclusive Waverley College in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

The police have alleged that Franklin twice assaulted Daljit Dhillon at North Bondi between 7.30pm and 8.10pm on Australia Day.

Neither of the two have entered a plea.

Police have also alleged Franklin intentionally or recklessly destroyed or damaged two roofing panels at the Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel between 8.45pm and 9pm last November 18.

The son has also been charged with being an excluded person re-entering the vicinity of the Beach Road Hotel after being turned out due to being intoxicated.

Other charges include resisting an officer in the execution of duty, contravening an apprehended violence order at around 1.12am on September 3 last year, robbing motor vehicles between 2am and 2.35am in Bondi on August 28 last year and allegedly attempting to use a stolen card to buy a packet Kettle chips. 

Police have submitted court documents showing Franklin allegedly took a woman’s Commonwealth Bank Mastercard, a man’s Wex Motorpass card and a woman’s Marc Cain jacket from motor vehicles.

Mr Lorkin told Waverley Court Franklin had “had a recent hospitalisation” and that he was seeking full-time residential rehabilitation and that he would be applying for the charges relating to 2017 to be heard under the Mental Health Act, known as a section 32.

Outside the court, Mr Lorkin told reporters Franklin was “mentally ill” and that police had acted in an aggressive manner towards Darren on Australia Day.

by Leon Gettler, February 16^th 2017.