Ex-top jockey and lawyer accused of $177k theft

A former champion jockey and ex-lawyer's theft and burglary charges have been upgraded after investigators had allegedly stolen items valued at more than $150,000.

Ex-jockey Danny Nikolic, 50, and his friend Patrick Lennon, 61, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday over a bungled burglary at a home in Carlton on January 9.

Police will allege the two men forced entry into the property, on Berkeley Street, about 2am but a witness saw them and called triple zero.

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The pair were arrested shortly after and charged with burglary and theft offences.

Neither Nikolic nor Lennon were represented by lawyers during the short hearing, where prosecutors applied to alter the charges as the jewellery had since been valued.

Prosecutor Michael Roper said the charges should be amended for both accused men to reflect the value of $177,000, which means the matter may be uplifted to the County Court.

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Magistrate Belinda Wallington asked Nikolic if he had a lawyer, and he stood in court to say Thea Milides was representing him, while Lennon appeared to be self-represented.

She asked Nikolic about an outstanding assault charge, over an incident in 2021, which she said he was still on bail for.

Further details of the charge were not aired to court, but Nikolic said a lawyer had previously told him the matter had resolved and police had withdrawn the charges.

"This is the first I've heard about it since, that was some years back," Nikolic said.

The magistrate gave him a copy of the charges to give to his lawyer and extended his bail over that matter until May 13.

Bail over the theft and burglary charges was extended for Lennon and Nikolic until June 17, when they will next appear at court for a committal mention.

Nikolic, who won 32 Group One races including the 2003 Caulfield Cup, lost a bid to regain his jockey licence in 2017 after being banned from Victorian racecourses.

He also failed to obtain a licence to ride at provincial meetings in Queensland.

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