Businessman Pleads Guilty

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday November 15, 2005

By PAUL MAGUIRE

FLAMBOYANT businessman Harry Bentley Gordon smiled and looked relaxed as he admitted in Raymond Terrace Local Court to faking his death and conspiring with his wife and daughter to swindle a life insurance company of $3.5 million.

Gordon, 56, who has been in custody since landing in Sydney on a flight from New Zealand eight days ago, pleaded guilty yesterday to four charges before magistrate Col Elliott.

They are that he conspired with Sheila Gordon and Josaphine Gordon between June 3, 2000, and November 11 this year to defraud AMP Insurance of $3.5 million; falsely staged his own death at Karuah on June 3, 2000, which led to a police investigation; possessed a false Australian passport in the name of Robert Motzel on January 1, 2001; and possessed a false passport in Motzel's name on November 7 this year.

Gordon's small fibreglass boat was found on the Karuah River, Port Stephens, on June 4, 2000, with a broken windscreen and three empty champagne bottles.

A coronial inquest in April the following year found that Gordon had drunk alcohol before his boat hit a navigational marker and he had been thrown out and drowned.

Police began an investigation this year after receiving a tip-off that Gordon was alive, had remarried and was living and working in New Zealand.

The investigation involved NSW and Australian Federal Police, Australian Customs Service officials and police in Britain, Fiji and New Zealand.

Lower Hunter police duty officer Wayne Humphrey said outside Raymond Terrace Local Court yesterday that more charges would be laid before the case concluded.

"Police investigations are continuing and, although I cannot make comment about any particular individuals, I anticipate more charges will be laid in the fullness of time," Chief Inspector Humphrey said.

"I am pleased he pleaded guilty as that vindicates investigations so far. Australian police will be travelling to New Zealand to continue some lines of investigation and that is about all I can say at this stage."

Gordon wore an open-neck shirt and dark suit for his brief appearance in court yesterday.

His solicitor, Jeffery Archer, asked for the case to be adjourned so a NSW Probation and Parole Service pre-sentence report could be prepared. Gordon did not apply for bail.

Police prosecutor Louise Foster said the case would be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions with a request that it be taken to a higher court for sentencing.

Mr Elliott refused Gordon bail and adjourned the matter to December 22.

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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