Former judge Marcus Einfeld suffering prostate cancer

FORMER judge Marcus Einfeld, who is facing jail time after pleading guilty to perjury and perverting the course of justice, has cancer.

FORMER judge Marcus Einfeld, who is facing jail time after this morning pleading guilty to perjury and perverting the course of justice, has cancer.

Mr Einfeld, 69, was due to face a NSW Supreme Court jury next week but instead pleaded guilty this morning to two charges after striking a deal with prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty to making a “false statement under oath knowing the statement to be false” and another that he made a false statement with the intention of perverting the course of justice.

He faces potential jail terms of 10 and 14 years for his crimes.

It can also now be revealed that Mr Einfeld has been battling prostate cancer for several months, which was one of the reasons his trial was postponed earlier this year.

The admission continues the former human rights commissioner's fall from grace, all in the name of avoiding a speeding fine.

Mr Einfeld told a Sydney magistrate on August 7, 2006, that he had loaned his silver Lexus to an Australian-born American professor Teresa Brennan on January 8, 2006.

The car was clocked speeding in McPherson Street, Mosman.

Mr Einfeld told the court that Professor Brennan had returned to the US and been killed in a car accident.

That was partly true: Professor Brennan had died in a car accident, but her death occurred in February 2003, three years before the Lexus was clocked speeding.

Mr Einfeld's bail was continued by Justice Bruce James and he will be sentenced on February 25 next year.

His admission follows a recent NSW Supreme Court of Criminal Appeal decision to drop five charges against him.

The former Federal Court judge was committed to stand trial on nine charges but after the CCA decision he was left to face four charges.

However, the Crown presented a new indictment to the court this morning that included the two charges to which he pleaded guilty.

Mr Einfeld did not comment as he left the court this morning.