Local medal cheat exposed

Former Hakaru RSA president Bill Kerr has been convicted of wearing medals he never earned bringing fresh calls to upgrade the law used to punish military pretenders.

Kerr appeared in the North Shore District Court three weeks ago and was convicted on a charge of wearing medals to which he was not entitled.

Kerr plead guilty and was fined $250.

This follows on the heels of west Auckland man Rob Clark who, though he had served in the New Zealand Army in the early 90s, also attended an Anzac Day service wearing medals to which he was not entitled and portraying himself as a member of the SAS.

Bill Kerr initially produced a suspicious certificate of release from the Navy when applying to join the Hakaru RSA in 2009 and subsequently completed a membership application form falsely indicating that he was a Returned Serviceman.

A check of his military records confirmed that he had never served overseas in time of war or emergency.

Kerr was president of the Hakaru RSA for six years, and wore a number of medals to veterans parades. These included The Vietnam Medal, which was awarded from 1968 onwards to those who served in Vietnam, and while Kerr had served in the Royal New Zealand Navy only a small number of Navy medics received the medal and Kerr was not one of those.

Several RSA officials agreed that while the offences are disgraceful and disrespectful to those who have actually earned their medals, penalties for such actions need to be higher and The Focus understands a private members bill has been presented to Parliament to address this matter.

Kerr’s prosecution is only the second of its kind in New Zealand history and though the Military Decorations and Distinctive Badges Act 1918 is considered somewhat antiquated, this current case proves it is still relevant and effective.

While RSA president, Kerr was also treasurer of his neighbourhood society The Anchorage Association where improprieties of a monetary nature led to Kerr’s wife being convicted last year on charges of forgery and presenting a forged document in relation to the association's funds.

Following Kerr’s conviction the police successfully made an application to the court for the permanent confiscation of the medals.

FINED: Bill Kerr and medals pictured at Hakaru RSA, Anzac Day 2013.