NSW: Mangos says he chatted to Einfeld on day his car was booked

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2007
NSW: Mangos says he chatted to Einfeld on day his car was booked

By Amy Coopes

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Sky News presenter John Mangos has told a Sydney court he chatted
to Marcus Einfeld at a northern beaches restaurant on the day the former judge's car was
caught speeding.

Mr Mangos told Downing Centre Local Court he and Einfeld spent less than 10 minutes
talking between 3.30pm and 4pm on January 8, 2006.

"I introduced Marcus to my wife and to the people at the table," Mr Mangos said.

"I indicated to him that we were planning a trip to Israel.

"I raised this because we first met in Israel 25 years ago at Cairo Airport."

Einfeld is accused of signing false statements saying others were driving his car,
to avoid speeding and other fines, twice implicating a friend he knew to be dead.

Einfeld's actions came to the attention of police during an investigation into the
January 8 speeding fine, which the former judge blamed on his long-deceased friend Professor
Teresa Brennan.

Einfeld said he had lent his car to the professor and was in Forster, on the NSW mid-north
coast, that weekend.

He also claimed he was driving his mother's car.

Mr Mangos told the court on the day in question, he and Einfeld had discussed a hostel
where he had stayed 25 years earlier, and which Einfeld had assured him at the time "wasn't
that bad".

"I told him this time I'm fulfilling my ambition to stay at the King David and he congratulated
me on my choice of hotel," Mr Mangos said, sending a ripple of laughter through the courtroom.

Mr Mangos said the conversation occurred between 3.30pm and 3.56pm when his table at
the beachfront restaurant Pilu was closed.

"I can't be too accurate about that other than to say that I know around that time
and clearly before we left we have had a conversation of about five minutes," he said.

Einfeld's car was snapped speeding at Mosman at 4.01pm and his lawyers have told Deputy
Chief Magistrate Helen Syme the timing of events was "critical" to putting him behind
the wheel of his car and at the speed camera at the relevant time.

Pilu manager Grant Burtenshaw said Einfeld paid the $163.35 bill for his meal with
Vivian Schenker with his credit card at 3.34pm.

His table was closed at 3.41pm but Mr Burtenshaw agreed that didn't mean Einfeld left
the restaurant at that time.

In the Downing Centre court today, two dozen seats were reserved for Einfeld and members
of his family in a larger courtroom, after a number were forced to stand yesterday because
of overcrowding.

The committal proceedings against Einfeld on traffic and perjury charges are now in
closing stages with witnesses now complete.

Einfeld's barrister Ian Barker QC, said a jury would not be satisfied that the former
Federal court judge was driving his car on four occasions when he is accused of falsely
stating someone else was behind the wheel.

Mr Barker said Einfeld could subsequently not be convicted of the associated perjury charges.

Closing submissions will be heard in the case tomorrow morning.

AAP ajc/bd/was/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: EINFELD MANGOS (PIX AVAILABLE)

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