‘Accused lived in world of fantasy’

Press, 18 April 1980, Page 5

‘Accused lived in world of fantasy’

Evidence had shown John Perkovic to have been “living in a world of complete fantasy in which he deliberately exploited the gullibility of others for his own profit,” said Judge Pain in fhe District Court yesterday. He convicted Perkovic, aged 50, an unemployed commercial artist (Mr K. J. Jones), on four charges of false ' pretences involving the'issue of valuless cheques totalling $6366 in Christchurch in December.

Hugh Walter Perston, aged 23, a painter (Mr R. J. McMurtrie), who appeared bn the same charges jointly with Perkovic, had all four charges dismissed. The judge said the evidence showed that Perston had been an “underling” who had done little more than write out the four cheques as directed.

He was satisfied that Perston had been deceived by Perkovic, who had a propensity for deception and had duped five other persons, including store and hotel staff.

Perkovic and Perston had denied the four charges, evidence of which was read during three days this week. The two had been remanded on Wednesday to yesterday for the Judge’s decision. Convicting Perkovic, he remanded him in custody to April 24 for a probation report and sentence.

On a charge of forging a savings bank passbook by inserting a balance of $2,000,002 on or about April 1, Perkovic pleaded not guilty yesterday and was remanded to June 9 for a fixture.

The charges on which Perkovic was convicted involved the issue of a blank cheque to obtain a car for $4995 from Mecca Motors, Christchurch; a cheque for $6OO to obtain credit from the Clarendon Hotel; a cheque for $72 for airline tickets with .Air New Zealand; and a cheque for $699 to obtain clothing from Munn’s Ltd. The cheques were all signed H. W. Perston. Convicting Perkovic of all offences the Judge said his knowledge of the falsity of his individual representations in relation to the

cheques was clearly- established. He traversed the background to the offences by Perkovic. He said that after meeting Perston, Perkovic had convinced Perston that he was a wealthy man with a substantial business in Australia, and a film producer, who was producing a book and film.

He had represented to Perston that he had been placed in jail and with Arthur Allan Thomas to obtain Thomas’s confidence, and that the police had frozen all his funds.

Perkovic had obtained Perston’s confidence and Perston’s employment prospects “blossomed” with the offer of a training period in Australia and the assumption of a position managing a postcard business in Christchurch. Perkovic appeared to have become, to Perston, not just a friend but “something of a fairy godmother in disguise.” Perston abandoned any reasonable appraisal of the situation that was developing. The Judge said it had been proved in each case that Perkovic committed a false pretence to obtain property on credit, with intent to defraud the complainants. Dismissing the charges against Perston the Judge said he had opened the cheque account in his own name, which tended to indicate no sinister motive on his part. The evidence did not prove Perston had opened the account, with a deposit of $250, to commit cheque frauds.

His conduct was too naive for that. Rather than Perston’s being a knowing partner in the offences the evidence showed that it was more likely Perston was deluded by Perkovic to believe that funds would be provided to meet the cheques, the Judge said.