Matthew Perrin fraud trial continues

FAILED surfwear mogul Matthew Perrin’s father-in-law believed Perrin would reveal his mistress was carrying his love child when he called a family crisis meeting. But Perrin told him: “It’s far worse than that.”

Nicole Bricknell, the ex-wife of former Billabong boss Matthew Perrin, arrives at the District Court in Brisbane today. Pic: AAP Image/Dan Peled

FAILED surfwear mogul Matthew Perrin’s father-in-law believed Perrin would reveal his mistress was carrying his love child when he called a family crisis meeting, a jury has heard.

Giving evidence in the District Court in Brisbane yesterday, on the third day of Perrin’s fraud and forgery trial, retired Gold Coast bookmaker Laurie Bricknell said he spoke to the father-of-three outside Perrin’s Cronin Island mansion on January 20, 2009.

“I said to him: ‘Have you got her pregnant?” Mr Bricknell told the jury, referring to Perrin’s mistress.

Mr Bricknell said Perrin replied: “It is far worse than that.”

Minutes later, inside the $15 million trophy home, Mr Bricknell said an emotional Perrin broke down and confided to his family that he had “done many bad things” and said: “I am going to jail because I’ve lost all our money and I have forged documents”.

Matthew Perrin arrives at court today.

Nicole Bricknell. Pics: AAP Image/Dan Peled

In earlier evidence Mr Bricknell’s daughter Nicole said she suspected Perrin had been having an affair since 2006 but he furiously denied it until a year later.

She also denied claims that she had secretly written a so-called “confession letter” purported to be from Perrin in which Perrin is alleged to have confessed to forging her signature and defrauding the Commonwealth Bank, then lied to cover it up.

During cross examination by Perrin’s barrister Andrew Hoare, Ms Bricknell conceded she had so little knowledge of her own financial affairs during her 13 year marriage to Perrin that she didn’t know she had a taxable income of $21 million in 2004. The jury was told that on the day that Perrin said his empire had collapsed, Ms Bricknell went to the bank and withdrew $10 million.

Mr Hoare suggested Ms Bricknell was a scheming liar who “could have saved” Perrin from the prospect of going to jail– but chose not to. Ms Bricknell denies this.

“Could I? Why would I have done that?” Ms Bricknell replied. “My children are my priority.”

Perrin will take the witness stand today.

He has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of fraud and forgery related to $13.5 million in loans from the Commonwealth Bank.