Man ‘claimed to be Thomas film producer’

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 7

Man ‘claimed to be Thomas film producer’

A man, who allegedly claimed to be in New Zealand producing the Arthur Allan Thomas film', was in the District Court yesterday defending four joint charges of passing galse cheques. Hugh Walter Perston, a painter, aged 22, of Wellington (Mr R. J. McMurtrie) and John Perkovic, aged 50, an unemployed commercial artist (Mr K. J. Jones), are jointly charged with passing false cheques totalling $6366. It is alleged that the two men passed false cheques to Mecca Motors, Ltd, to obtain a car valued at $4995; to Munns, Ltd, for three men’s suits, two shirts and two ties totalling $699; to Air New Zealand for airline tickets valued at $72; and to obtain credit of $6OO from the Clarendon Hotel.

Judge D. B. Pain refused applications from counsel for the charges to be transferred to the High Court and for the charges to be heard separately.

The Judge said that both defendants had had “ample opportunity” to give notice of a change in election. The charges against Perkovic and Perston were based on an alleged “common enterprise of fraud.”

Mr Jones, for Perkovic, told the Judge that substantial sums of money were being transferred to New Zealand, from Australia; this was essentia] to the defence. Mr McMurtrie said that Perston had honestly believed that the cheques would be met. In recent weeks he had spoken to five people who had been the victims of fraud and attempted fraud by Perkovic. Perston's

case would be "greatly prejudiced” by a joint hearing. Sergeant J. J. Chadderton said that on December 18, 1979, Perston had opened a cheque account at the Courtney Place branch of the A.N.Z. Bank in Wellington with an initial deposit of $250. The four cheques presented had “greatly extended” the initial deposit.

On most occasions the cheques had been presented by Perkovic who had done most of the talking.

William Kay Hollis,- the accountant for the bank’s branch in Wellington, gave evidence that Perston had opened the cheque account. The retired manager of the Clarendon Hotel, Walter Longman, said that Perkovic had presented himself as Mr Schroeder—a businessman of considerable means. He had said that Perston — who called himself Peterson—was his bodyguard. Perkovic had indicated that he was a film producer who was in New’ Zealand making the Arthur Allan Thomas movie.

Perkovic had presented a cheque for $6OO which had been dishonoured by the bank. When approached about this Perkovic had said that it must have been a mistake. He had put. $5OOO in the bank in Wellington to cover the expenses of his business trip to' Christqhurch. Mr Longman said that he had become suspicious of the two defendants and had telephoned the C. 1.8. Both men were remanded to appear in Court again today. Bail was continued for Perston and Perkovic was remanded in custody.