Accused ‘fake’ Vietnam War veteran vows to fight 17 charges
AN accused bogus Vietnam War veteran who told a magistrate he was dying of cancer has now been charged with impersonating a public official, financial deceptions and multiple driving offences.
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AN accused bogus Vietnam War veteran who told a magistrate he was dying of cancer has now been charged with impersonating a public official, financial deceptions and multiple driving offences.
Police threw the book at “Major-General” Neville Donohue after he failed to appear in court for a seventh time.
Despite claiming in February to have been in hospital with just weeks to live, Mr Donohue stated in a letter to the court before his latest non-appearance in October that he had been “required for military service” that day.
“I am now in my 45th year of military service and service to associated paramilitary government organisations,” he told the Herald Sun after failing to appear.
Mr Donohue, who denies any wrongdoing, was originally charged with falsely claiming to be a war veteran, and wearing medals to which he was not entitled.
Those charges were laid after photos of Mr Donohue looking like a North Korean general with four rows of military medals on his chest went viral on veterans’ forums and networks.
“I didn’t earn my decorations in the normal fashion, as in day-to-day military service, I earned them in behind-the-scenes military service,” he told the Herald Sun.
Mr Donohue agreed his military record stated he was a corporal in the signals corps, but said he had spent all of his regular service time with “special forces — the SAS, the commandos and special forces intelligence” — and had worked in a similar capacity part-time for the past 39 years.
“When I do finally get to court with this it will be in a closed session, in camera, because it has to be by law.”
He said he could provide documentary proof of his claims.
Last week he was charged with seven new offences of impersonating a Commonwealth public official, deception offences relating to his employment and driving offences.
In February, magistrate Marc Sargent said he had received a letter from The Alfred hospital stating Mr Donohue had terminal cancer and would be admitted to palliative care, with his death expected in months.
He is due to face 17 charges in the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court in March.