Minder denies theft claim

Peter Goodfellow, right, with John Key. Photo / Simon Baker

Police have been asked to investigate whether a family minder stole from the home of National Party president Peter Goodfellow.

The millionaire's former wife, Libby Black, hired the minder after the break-up of the couple's marriage last year. She remained living in their $3 million Orakei home, and hired former prison inmate William Perese to look after her.

She and Goodfellow became embroiled in a messy break-up that sparked calls for his resignation as National Party president.

He acknowledged the concerns last year, but said he did not believe there was anything in his personal life that affected his ability to be president.

It is understood mediation with Goodfellow has cost Black $250,000, but has been unsuccessful and the couple's dispute is now likely to go to court.

And Black laid a police complaint against Perese last month, alleging he stole medication from the house. Perese firmly denies the allegation.

It is understood another complaint could be laid, alleging $39,000 sent by Black's father in the United States for her expensive legal bills was kept by Perese.

Perese did not respond to attempts to contact him. However, the Herald on Sunday has obtained an email received by Black's father, Hugo Black II, from someone claiming to be Perese's partner Lynda.

The 4500-word email denies Perese stole anything.

"I do not want to sound resentful, but am trying to convey how very hurt emotionally we feel with Libby's change in nature," the email says.

Perese has several aliases and has previously been in the news as William Hirchkop.

He and his partner Lynda Ash were sentenced to two years in jail in 2005, after being convicted of failing to provide the necessities of life to Ash's 2-year-old daughter.

Kalin St Michael died of pneumonia on July 15, 2002, but for the five weeks before she died the little girl had a brain injury and a broken arm.

Black refused to comment on the police complaint but Clinton Bowerman, a private detective she hired, said Perese kept control over Black's life for a year until he was evicted.

Bowerman said he believed that Perese monitored phone calls and visitors.

He also used her car and money, and gave Black, who has adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, less than half of her medication.

"Libby has been absolutely devastated through this whole thing," Bowerman said. "She was just trying to get her life back on track and now she has to deal with this."

Bowerman said he had seen Perese driving Black's blue Porsche Cayenne. And the email from Lynda says she and William helped control Black's medication out of necessity.

The Goodfellow family came 16th on last year's NBR Rich List with estimated wealth of $550m.

Black also has an illustrious family background - her grandfather was a justice on the Supreme Court in the United States. Her father is a highly regarded lawyer in the US.