Ultra Tune CEO Sean Buckley launched a Supreme Court action on Tuesday in an attempt to block the release of an audio clip where he allegedly assaults his partner and threatens to kill a former business associate.
The audio clip, which has been published by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, reveal Buckley’s threats to kill former business associate Jimmy “Vegas” Seoud using a hitman.
In 2019 Seoud and Buckley, long-time business associates at Toybox Gentleman’s Club, a Surfer’s Paradise strip club, ended their friendship. It is believed that Buckley’s threats related to the potential for Seoud to implicate him in criminal activity.
The recording also contains audio of Buckley verbally abusing and threatening Jennifer Cole, who was his partner at the time. Cole was recording the incident.
Both The Age and the Morning Herald justified their decision to publish parts of the recording as there is “public interest in revealing allegations of domestic violence, death threats and potential involvement in criminal activity by a well-known and influential business figure.”
Buckley’s affidavit filed at the Supreme Court outlines accusations that Cole and former employee Anthony Swords were conspiring against him in an attempt to gain financially by distributing the recording.
The affidavit also said, “I am a well-known public figure and Ultra Tune is a well known national business. If these private recordings are made public it will attarct widespread negative media coverage.”
In the affidavit, Buckley alleged that Swords (who resigned from Ultra Thoroughbred Racing last December), “called me and told me that unless I gave him $400, 000 he will destroy me.”
Swords has denied these allegations, telling The Age and the Morning Herald that “these claims are totally false.”
When Swords resigned, Buckley said he was paid $17, 000 in entitlements.
In his statement to The Age and the Morning Herald, Swords said he “told him [Buckley] to shove his money up his arse.”
Feature Image credit: Instagram