Billionaire property mogul Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portelli has been cleared of a hooning charge after a lengthy court battle.

Portelli was found not guilty of causing one or more wheels to lose traction following a marathon contested hearing which dated back to 2020.

However, the publicity hound famous for buying and flipping The Block properties, was found guilty of failing to have proper control of a vehicle.

In the end, Portelli, 36, was fined $296 without conviction after paying for a top legal team to run his defence.

During Thursday’s sentencing, Magistrate Michael McNamara stopped short of suspending Portelli’s licence, saying the luxury car enthusiast shouldn’t be ‘punished’ for having a ‘high-profile’.

‘He gets the benefit of this being a very old matter,’ Magistrate McNamara said.

‘People have to understand that they can’t think this kind of driving is appropriate.’

Prosecutor Alex Turner had called for Portelli to be convicted and for his licence to be suspended.

Billionaire property mogul Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portelli  was cleared of a hooning charge after a lengthy court battle

The court heard that Adrian Portelli had a poor driving record and ‘litany of infringements’ for speeding and driving while suspended offences

Mr Turner revealed to the court Portelli’s poor driving record and ‘litany of infringements’ for speeding and driving while suspended offences.

The prosecutor also cited Portelli, who was also found not guilty of careless driving, had a ‘relevant prior’ from 2007 in which he loss his licence for 28 days.

Portelli’s barrister Penny Marcou submitted that her client had experienced ‘extracurricular punishment’ because his car had been impounded for a month.

The court had previously heard evidence that police pulled Portelli over just before Christmas 2020 after they suspected he had intentionally performed a burnout through a roundabout in his former partner’s Mercedes Benz C63 in Melbourne‘s west.

Body worn camera footage captured by Leading Senior Constable Glenn Hutton saw a smiling Portelli seemingly admit to the alleged hooning.

‘G’day mate, picked a bad day to do circle work around the roundabout,’ Sen Constable Hutton put to Portelli.

‘Oh mate, tell me about it,’ Portelli replied, in what prosecutors claim was a black and white acceptance of guilt.

Portelli told Sunshine Magistrates’ Court earlier this month that he was confused by the officer’s use of ‘slang’ with the term ‘circle work’.

Portelli (pictured) told the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court earlier this month he was confused by the officer’s use of ‘slang’ with the term ‘circle work’

Portelli had previously been excused from attending court in person after submitting a letter from his doctor

The prosecution claimed any car enthusiast knows that the term means a circular burnout.

Portelli – who is renowned for his extensive collection of high-end sports cars – claimed he only laughed when approached by police because he was ‘nervous’.

‘To be honest it was a nervous response and a frazzled response,’ he told the court from the comfort of his home.

Portelli claimed he had been lost when police saw him allegedly perform the burnout around the roundabout.

‘I was clearly lost. I was going around a roundabout in the middle of nowhere (on) a rainy day in a new estate where visibility was poor and I was lost,’ he said.

Prosecutor Turner put it to Portelli he behaved the way he did because he had been caught ‘red handed’ performing ‘circle work’ by two police officers.

‘That’s completely incorrect. My interpretation of circle work is completely different to yours,’ Portelli said.

The court heard Portelli made no inquiries to police about what they meant about ‘circle work’.

‘The informant should have used proper terminology,’ Portelli argued.

‘If I have to ask the informant about his slang terminology then, I just didn’t take note of it to be honest. At that point in time I was in a nervous state, I was frazzled, I was frustrated and that was my response.’

Portelli claimed he only smiled when approached by police because that was his usual reaction when placed under pressure.

‘I’m generally always smiling, so it could be a nervous smile,’ he told the court.

Portelli claimed he travelled around the roundabout one-and-a-half times because his GPS ‘bugged out’ and he was attempting to get his bearings.

‘It was just a moment. I’m sure anyone that’s used a GPS [has experienced a glitch]. It just gave off the wrong directions. I was just frazzled,’ he maintained.

Portelli had previously been excused from attending court in person after submitting a letter from his GP.

The petrolhead later claimed he contracted a giardia infection – an intestinal infection marked by stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and bouts of watery diarrhoea.

On March 5, the billionaire appeared via videolink in bed alongside strategically placed bottles of water and Powerade, Portelli attributed the illness on seafood he ate weeks earlier.

‘I went to Sydney at the start of Feb, had some oysters, got really, really freaking sick. The whole of February was a write-off,’ he posted from his sickbed late on Tuesday night.

‘I’ve been laying low, you wouldn’t have seen me on social (media).’

Portelli claimed he had taken an abundance of tests to try and ascertain what was wrong with him.

‘I’ve done a saliva test, pee test, s*** test, blood test. I’ve had iron infusions, B12 shot, I had the multi-vitamin drip , I had a colonic done. I have to go for a gastroscopy now because I might be Celiac,’ he said via his Instagram page.

‘Anyway, we’re getting there. I’m on my third round of antibiotics. They’re knocking me about but big thank you. Everyone just be careful out there. There‘s apparently an outbreak in Sydney.’

Portelli appeared by video link when Thursday’s decision was handed down.