When is a lie not a lie?

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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:46 pm

When it's something fabricated to protect a former judge, apparently.

Marcus Einfeld is a former Federal Court judge from New South Wales who told a stupid lie to evade a speeding ticket and ended up involving others in his deception...

Quote:

A 'devastated' Angela Liati says she will appeal a jury's finding that she deliberately misled police to try to help Marcus Einfeld dodge a speeding fine.

A NSW District Court jury took about three hours to decide Liati purposely lied in a police statement in which she said she had been driving the former Federal Court judge's car when it was caught speeding in Sydney three years ago.

Liati, 56, appeared shellshocked on Thursday as the jury forewoman read out the verdict of guilty to the charge of making a false statement to police with the intention of perverting the course of justice.

She announced her intention to appeal immediately after the jury left the courtroom.

'Your honour I will be appealing the decision,' she told Judge Michael Finnane.

'It was terribly unexpected.'

Liati began to cry as the judge ran through possible sentencing options for her including full-time and periodic detention, community service or a good behaviour bond.

He said he was unlikely to be persuaded to impose a full-time prison sentence, but she would still be better off if she engaged a lawyer.

'It's certainly my opinion that you need legal aid to run either the sentencing proceedings or an appeal,' Judge Finnane told Liati.

'You have clearly got intelligence and you ran an articulate case, but you are at a disadvantage if you have no lawyer.'

Mr Einfeld's silver Lexus was photographed doing 60km/h in a 50km/h zone by a speed camera in Mosman on January 8, 2006.

He told a magistrate he had lent the vehicle to American academic Theresa Brennan, but police later discovered his old friend had died in February 2003.

Mr Einfeld later pleaded guilty to the speeding offence.

Liati became embroiled in the legal saga when she went to Mr Einfeld's lawyers and told them she was in the car with a friend called 'Theahresa (Theahresa) Brennan' on the day in question.

She then signed a document authorising the lawyers to hand her statement over to police, but later claimed she got her dates mixed up.

Liati, who defended herself, claimed the match-up of her and Mr Einfeld's stories was an astounding coincidence.

However, the prosecution told jurors it had all been a 'pack of lies' to get the judge she had long esteemed off the hook.

Outside court, Liati said she was 'absolutely devastated' with the verdict and admitted she probably did herself a disservice by representing herself.

Liati's defence during the colourful eight-day trial had the courtroom - and even some jurors - laughing out loud during proceedings.

From outlining her love triangle with a former boyfriend and his wife, to interrupting witnesses, the judge and even the crown prosecutor's closing address, Liati's inexperience shone through to comical effect.

But it was under cross-examination that Liati got the biggest laugh.

When asked why she had fabricated parts of her police statement, she told crown prosecutor Lou Lungo: 'It was not a lie, it was a story I made up'.

Mr Lungo did not oppose bail, and it was conditionally granted for Liati to appear in the same court on May 8 for sentencing.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

Frugal lady
She was just being economical with the truth.

Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:22 pm

It's only a lie if you get caught.....