Jury considering rescue helicopter fraud verdict

A high court jury has retired to decide if four men are guilty of fraud charges involving two Auckland air rescue trusts.

Wayne Porter, Peter Pharo, Malcolm Beattie and Stewart Romley, all in their 60s, each face two joint charges of conspiring to defraud the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and the ChildFlight Trust. All entered pleas of not guilty.

The Serious Fraud Office alleged grants from pub gaming machines were dishonestly returned in the guise of "advertising costs".

The machines were owned by the GoldTimes Trust in which all four accused held varying roles.

Summing up the six-week case, Justice Chris Allan told the jury of seven men and five women the case was a simple one, albeit one with plenty of documentation and evidence to consider.

He told jury members to first decide if all four had some form of agreement between themselves over the advertising arrangements.

Then, he said, the jury must consider if each man had acted honestly in discharging their duties to the trust.

The Crown must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, and it was not up to the defence to prove innocence, he said.