Perish murder gang brother to be paroled after 20 years
Underworld killer Andrew Perish will be paroled almost 20 years after police informer Terry Falconer was abducted, killed and dismembered. But victim advocates say there are more secrets that the gang has to answer.
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Cold-blooded killer Andrew Perish will be released on parole almost 20 years after his murderous gang dismembered police informer Terry Falconer and dumped the body in a NSW river.
But victim advocates say he still has to answer questions about the disappearance of another man whose body has never been found.
Mr Falconer was found in pieces in the Hastings River on the Mid-North Coast in 2001.
Perish and his brother, Anthony, believed Mr Falconer had killed their grandparents in 1993 and the pair exacted what they thought was their gory revenge.
Andrew, in 2012, was handed 12 years in prison for the plot with a nine year non parole period. That expired in October last year but the Serious Offenders Review Council had reservations about his release.
Perish hadn’t completed a program for violent offenders, had no suitable housing organised outside prison and SORC wanted him to remain locked up so his parole was refused.
The State Parole Authority on Thursday heard those factors had now all changed and agreed Perish should walk free between August 13 and August 20, unless there is an appeal against their decision.
“Despite the seriousness of the offence and the existence of the offender’s other criminal activities, we are persuaded by his behaviour in custody – which has been overall good – and his completion of programs,” State Parole Authority Judge David Freeman said on Thursday.
“He is ready for release.”
The authority heard some of his gaolers want to see Perish abandon his anti-authoritarian ideas.
But Mr Freeman said they were not convinced that change was “likely or necessary”.
The coronavirus pandemic, the SPA said, had halted all prison day, weekend and work leave meaning Perish would not have an opportunity to complete that normal pre-release activity.
Outside court, victims advocate Peter Rolfe said Perish still hadn’t answered questions about the disappearance of barman Ian Draper.
In 2001, the barman disappeared and his 1992 white Ford Falcon was found wiped clean of any fingerprints six weeks later outside the Rebels clubhouse in Leppington.
“(Janet Draper) wants to know where her son Ian’s body is,” he said.
“Next Monday is 19 years since Ian disappeared.”
No-one has been charged with Draper’s murder and Perish was not called to give evidence at his inquest, which returned an open finding.
But Mr Rolfe, like Draper’s mother, has suspicions that Perish may have knowledge about Draper’s disappearance because Draper was involved in another trial against Perish three years before Mr Falconer was abducted.
Perish was, in 1998, cleared of killing Kai Dempsey in a brawl at the Liverpool pub after the court ruled he acted in self defence. Draper was a key witness for police.
“(Perish) and his brother are two evil people,” Mr Rolfe said.
Their cruelty was on full display when Anthony, Andrew and others drew up the plot that saw Mr Falconer abducted from an Ingleburn panel beaters where he worked.
Falconer was handcuffed by men pretending to be police officers, dosed with chloroform and stuffed into a metal box, a sentencing judge found in 2012.
It’s unclear when, in the abduction, Mr Falconer died but the judge concluded Anthony and the crew “dissected” his body, wrapped the pieces and dumped them in the river.
Anthony Perish and a second man were found guilty of murder and Andrew was found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Mr Falconer had turned police informant against the Rebels OMCG – Andrew’s club – and police said at trial that may have provided further motivation for the murder.
Perish won’t walk out a totally free man – he will have to wear an ankle monitor and provide daily schedules to authorities. He cannot speak with his brother unless through a lawyer and cannot contact the Falconer family.
He also has to engage in continued psychological treatment for violent offenders.
The SPA also heard Perish, now 49, still believes he was the victim of a “biased trial” and wants to be “shielded” from the eyes of the public and the media.
Perish will live in a halfway home in Sydney’s west for the first part of his release which he hopes will give him and his family privacy, the authority heard.
His murderous brother, Anthony, will first be eligible for parole in 2027.