SA: Pantic's porn conviction overturned

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2008
SA: Pantic's porn conviction overturned

By Liza Kappelle

ADELAIDE, Aug 15 AAP - An Adelaide man named as a person of interest in Dianne Brimble's
cruise ship death has had his conviction for importing pornography overturned.

Petar Vladmir Pantic, 31, was found guilty in his absence in the Adelaide Magistrates
Court on July 25, of bringing DVDs containing images of bestiality and bondage into Australia
last year.

However, Adelaide Magistrate Simon Smart overturned Pantic's conviction today after
barrister David Edwardson QC said he had been retained to appear for Pantic on that day
- but had forgotten to record it in his diary.

Magistrate Smart overturned the conviction "in the interest of justice" meaning the
matter will be reheard.

"Through no fault of his that legal representation was not there," Mr Smart said.

"Accordingly I set aside the conviction."

He remanded the matter to October 17.

Customs officers allegedly found the DVDs after Pantic flew in to Adelaide on September
4, 2007, from Serbia via Singapore.

Mrs Brimble, a Brisbane mother of three, died on board the P&O liner Pacific Sky in
September 2002 from a toxic mix of alcohol and the illicit drug fantasy.

An inquest into her death was told she had sex with Adelaide man Mark Wilhelm after
being given fantasy, and her naked body was found on the floor of the cabin he shared
with Leo Silvestri, Ryan Kuchel and Matthew Slade.

The other men named as persons of interest were Petar Pantic, Luigi Vitale, Dragan
Losic and Charlie Kambouris.

AAP lk/it/bwl

KEYWORD: PANTIC

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