Former winemaker Andrew Garrett withdraws fraud guilty plea

"SIGNIFICANT" new evidence has prompted bankrupt former winemaker Andrew Garrett to withdraw his guilty plea to fraud allegations, a court has heard.

Garrett, 52, today asked the District Court for permission to withdraw his plea of guilty to defrauding $5000 by dishonestly dealing with documents.

He had faced seven other counts of the same charge, accusing him of trying to scam more than $900,000 - including $500,972 from a law firm.

Those charges were dropped when Garrett pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charges in December last year.

Garrett today told the court that "significant evidence" relating to the period of the alleged offending had since came to his attention.

Lawyers for Garrett told the court that their client's intention to withdraw the plea put them in an "impossible position" and they would have to step down from representing him.

Garrett became one of Australia's best-known winemakers after transforming a $3000 loan into an empire with a $12 million turnover before being declared bankrupt in 2004.

Garrett had vineyards in Langhorne Creek and on the Fleurieu Peninsula and lived in a $4 million mansion on his 205ha Leawood Gardens estate in the Adelaide Hills.

He has since launched legal action to have his name taken off the wine he made famous, claiming it was deceiving customers into believing he endorses the company that bought him out.

In 2007, Garrett was declared a vexatious litigant after he filed numerous court actions against people he believed owed him money.

Judge Dean Clayton adjourned the court to allow time for Garrett to find new representation.

Garrett will next appear in court in June.