The model ex-girlfriend of rock star Daniel Johns came to court on Monday ready to defend herself against a string of domestic violence charges.
Estelita Huijer was set to face off with another former lover, acclaimed restaurateur Andrew Becher, holding their newborn child in a baby carrier.
Becher arrived carrying a USB flash drive which police say contains a ‘substantial amount’ of fresh evidence that will be used to prosecute 34-year-old Huijer.
Huijer, who describes herself as ‘Dutch-Filipino-Australian’, dated Johns for about four years from 2013 after the Silverchair frontman had quit the chart-topping band to concentrate on his solo career.
The fashion designer and Becher had a four-year ‘on-and-off intimate relationship’ which ended in 2024, according to a statement of facts tendered in court in April.
Becher, who owns popular eateries Franca, Parlar and Armorica in Sydney’s inner-east, has been a star on the Sydney hospitality scene for more than a decade.
His celebrated Double Bay restaurant and bar Pelicano was forced to shut in 2016 but was relaunched at Potts Point on the site of the old Hugo’s Lounge late last year.
The end of Huijer’s relationship with Becher left her ‘navigating a complex and often unsafe dynamic’ while she carried his child, her solicitor previously told a magistrate.
Estelita Huijer, the model girlfriend of rock star Daniel Johns, arrives at court on Monday with her 14-week-old child. The baby’s father is restaurateur Andrew Becher, who Huijer is accused of assaulting
Andrew Becher (above) arrived at court carrying a USB flash drive which police say contains a ‘substantial amount’ of fresh evidence that will be used to prosecute 34-year-old Huijer
In the past 15 months, Huijer has been charged with assault, stealing, fraud, possessing drugs, trespassing, vandalism and repeatedly breaching a restraining order.
She appeared in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court six months ago after pleading not guilty to seven domestic violence charges related to Becher.
At the time, Huijer was seven months’ pregnant and when Becher did not show up all but one of the charges were withdrawn.
On Monday, she was back in the same court for a hearing after pleading not guilty to common assault, possessing a prohibited drug and twice contravening an apprehended violence order.
Those charges stemmed from an alleged confrontation at Becher’s home at Point Piper in the early hours of December 30 last year, and the alleged breach of an AVO at the same place on January 18.
This time, Becher was prepared to get into the witness box but the matter was delayed when a police prosecutor asked for the chance to discuss the matter with Huijer’s lawyer.
The prosecutor returned to court and told magistrate Susan Horan that Becher had produced ‘a large amount of fresh evidence’ which had not been served on Huijer.
That evidence, contained on a USB flash drive, included CCTV, screenshots and a phone recording the prosecutor said would prove Huijer had breached the AVO.
Huijer dated Daniel Johns for four years from 2013 after the Silverchair frontman had quit the chart-topping band to concentrate on his solo career. The former couple is pictured
Huijer and Becher had had an ‘on and off intimate relationship’ for the past four years, according to statement of facts tendered in court in April. Becher is pictured
Huijer’s solicitor Jessica Tohi said in light of the new evidence, she was not in a position to proceed with the hearing and did not oppose it being adjourned.
Ms Tohi said her client had a 14-week-old baby and was facing another hearing in December into unrelated allegations involving Becher.
Huijer has pleaded not guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception at Point Piper in January last year.
Ms Horan adjourned Monday’s set of charges for a hearing in November.
Huijer had been arrested on August 1 last year over a series of events which allegedly took place earlier that day and during the previous night at Becher’s home.
She was originally charged with common assault, trespass, stealing more than $2,000 in cash and contravening an AVO.
Huijer was also accused of intentionally damaging property and intentionally marking a premises without consent in relation to an accusation she used a permanent marker to deface Becher’s wardrobe.
She was arrested again the following month after a disturbance at Becher’s Wolseley Road unit.
The end of Huijer’s relationship with Becher left her ‘navigating a complex and often unsafe dynamic’ while she carried his child, her solicitor previously told a magistrate
On September 9 last year, Huijer called Triple Zero to report a domestic violence incident, according to a statement of facts tendered in court in April.
She was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital with a head injury and later charged with common assault as well as breaching an AVO.
All those charges were due to be heard on April 16 but the prosecutor withdrew each count except one of the AVO breaches after Becher did not turn up to court.
Huijer pleaded guilty to that single offence and Ms Tohi said her client had gone to Becher’s home with his consent the night it occurred.
Ms Tohi said Huijer was seven months’ pregnant to Becher and was facing ‘significant personal challenges’ with ‘limited familial or social support’.
She said Huijer was ‘navigating a complex and often unsafe dynamic’ with Becher and submitted an appropriate punishment would be a conditional release order.
Magistrate Scott Nash said Huijer’s offending was at the lower end of the scale and granted Ms Tohi’s request, imposing a 12-month CRO with a conviction, as well as a two-year AVO.
Huijer had spent a night in custody before she first faced Waverley Local Court over the alleged incident at Huijer’s home in August.
In the past 15 months, Huijer has been charged with assault, stealing, fraud, possessing drugs, trespassing, vandalism and repeatedly breaching a restraining order
She sobbed that day as Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge granted her bail, along with delivering a stern warning.
‘You breach any of these conditions, you have any contact with him again, bail will be taken off you,’ Ms Milledge had said.
‘This constitutes a very serious breach of the order and it’s an indication that it’s escalating, and you’re becoming more desperate.’
Huijer’s current bail conditions require her to live at an address on Queensland’s Gold Coast, not go near or contact Becher and not enter Potts Point.
She must not drink alcohol take any drugs unless prescribed by a doctor.
Huijer was first made the subject of an AVO to protect Becher in June 2021.
That order, which included a requirement she not approach Becher within 12 hours of drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs, was put in place for two years.
At the same time she was found guilty of resisting a police officer and sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order without proceeding to conviction.
Another two-year AVO protecting Becher from Huijer was made in March last year.
On that day, an assault charge was withdrawn and Huijer pleaded guilty to contravening an AVO. She was not convicted but was sentenced to another 12-month conditional release order.