Top Elders real estate agent Chris Deutrom, facing fraud charges, admits to lying to his bosses under cross-examination

ALLEGED fraudster real estate agent Chris Deutrom has admitted he lied to his bosses in a moment of ‘panic’ when he was first being probed for allegedly siphoning off money he was not entitled to

Former Elders real estate agent Chris Deutrom leaves the NT Supreme Court with his wife, Helen

ALLEGED fraudster real estate agent Chris Deutrom has admitted he lied to his bosses in a moment of “panic” when he was first being probed for allegedly siphoning off money he was not entitled to.

Mr Deutrom, 50, took the stand on Thursday, where he detailed his three-decade career as a real estate agent and his initial reluctance to take charge of the “bloodbath” Elders operations in Darwin.

He has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of obtaining benefit by deception, charges stemming from him allegedly funnelling advertising rebates from the NT News and realestate.com.au into bank accounts he controlled.

He said he had never been in trouble with the law beyond “a couple of parking tickets and a couple of speeding fines”.

Mr Deutrom said he did “everything” to turn the local arm of the business around, including “buying paint at Bunnings and painting the office”.

“I worked seven days a week,” he said.

He said credit card statements did not go “even close” to showing the money he had spent on staff over the years.

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He also said he believed he had the authority to spend thousands in company money on overseas trips for staff.

“I believe I had the authority to do it and I still believe I had the authority to do it,” he said.

“I had full autonomy in the business.”

He said he only paid back $90,000 to Elders after his termination as part of a “calculated” legal strategy in which he said Elders would ultimately have to pay him between $900,000 and $1 million.

Under cross-examination from Crown Prosecutor David Morters SC, Mr Deutrom said he lied to his bosses, Tim Walker and Greg Dunne, who probed his alleged misappropriation of company money.

“Yes, I’m saying that (I lied),” he said.

“I was fearful of my job, I was fearful of my livelihood.

“I was under the mistaken belief I had done the wrong thing.”

Mr Deutrom said Mr Morters’s cross-examination of him was taking him “around in circles and eventually I might slip up and you might catch me out”.

Mr Morters said: “This whole business, this whole claim that you were acting fundamentally in the interests of the business, that’s just a story you have made up to try and convince the jury.”

Mr Deutrom denied that claim.

Mr Morters said Mr Deutrom’s “panic” and lie to Mr Dunne and Mr Walker was “because you got caught out stealing from your employer”, a claim which Mr Deutrom also denied.

When asked to respond to Mr Morters’s questions, Mr Deutrom said he was “very passionate” about his time in the real estate business.

“You’re not passionate, sir, you’re absolutely terrified about being caught out lying,” Mr Morters said.

“No,” Mr Deutrom replied.

The trial continues.

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