A millionaire who has been jailed over his wife’s death allegedly told an infamous conman that fellow wife killer Gerard Baden-Clay would have gotten away with murder had he done things differently.
John William Chardon, 72, was sentenced to 15 years jail this week after he was convicted of the manslaughter of his estranged wife Novy.
Following the sentencing, new details have emerged of how Chardon allegedly confided in convicted conman Peter Foster while they shared a jail cell four years ago.
Foster served time in Wolston Correctional Centre for a weight loss scam in 2015 at the same time Chardon served time for offences unrelated to his estranged wife’s death.
John Chardon told convicted conman Peter Foster in jail that fellow wife killer Gerard Baden-Clay (pictured with wife Alison on their wedding day) would have gotten with murder had he done things differently
During walks around the prison yard, Chardon allegedly claimed to Foster that Gerard Baden-Clay ‘made a mistake by trying to cover up his affairs’, according to documents obtained by The Courier Mail.
Chardon reportedly compared his case to the one of Baden-Clay, who was convicted of the murder of his wife Allison in 2012 and was allegedly confident he hadn’t made the same mistakes.
‘I recall John telling me that Baden-Clay should have come out and admitted that they had a big fight and that she (Allison) had scratched him and then run off,’ Foster claimed in a 50 page statement to police.
‘John said the biggest mistakes that Baden-Clay made were that he lied about the scratches on his face. John then told me that he had no marks on his body and he went to the hospital and was examined by a female doctor but nothing was found.’
John Chardon confided in conman Peter Foster (pictured this week) while in jail together
Chardon was sentenced to 15 years jail for the manslaughter of wife Novy (pictured) this week
Chardon allegedly told Foster he believed Baden-Clay made a series of mistakes which ultimately led to him being sentenced to life behind bars for his wife’s murder.
They included traces of blood found in Baden-Clay’s car and Baden-Clay ringing up to try to claim the insurance policy after Alison’s death.
Chardon also allegedly boasted to Foster that there was no forensic evidence that could link him to his wife Novy’s death.
The mother-of-two vanished from their Gold Coast mansion in February 2013 and her body has never been found.
Gerald Baden-Clay was sentenced to life behind bars for the murder of his wife Alison
Foster claimed Chardon referred to his wife as being dead.
‘Six billion people and counting, what’s one less. Someone dies here for murder every day, they will soon lose interest and it will become a cold case,’ Chardon allegedly told Foster.
Foster’s police statement was never shown to the jury during Chardon’s recent three week trial in Brisbane Supreme Court.
Nor were Foster’s notebooks filled with notes of his conversations with Chardon after a Supreme Court judge deemed the notorious conman unreliable, The Courier Mail reported.
Foster claims in the notes he elicited a confession from Chardon that he’d shot wife Novy and dumped her body in the Gold Coast Seaway.
Gold Coast millionaire John Chardon (pictured) allegedly confessed to Peter Foster that he killed his wife Novy in 2013
The pair were eating lollies and watching M.A.S.H together one night, the publication reported.
‘Shot her in the head – said 22 bullet doesn’t exit head but rolls around in the head/skull like jelly,’ Foster’s notes read.
Foster penned more notes in the weeks after the alleged confession.
‘He says he did dump her in Seaway – but I have a feeling he did bury her … I say that because of his tapping foot. Gut feeling only. Very much trying to convince me how smart he is,’ Foster wrote.
Chardon will have to serve at 80 per cent of his 15 year prison sentence and may not be eligible for parole if his wife’s body isn’t found.
During sentencing, Justice Ann Lyons said she had no confidence Chardon would be rehabilitated after noting his criminal history, which included six child sex offences and rape.
The body of mother-of-two Novy Chardon (pictured) has never been found
‘Your bad character has been manifest for all to see,’ Justice Lyons said.
She added that Chardon had shown ‘no scintilla of remorse’ and his lack of respect for his wife and his dishonesty ‘was truly extraordinary’.
Foster is the infamous swindler who helped Cherie Blair, the wife of then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, buy two apartments in 2002 while he was dating her ‘spiritual advisor’ Carole Caplin.
In the 1990s, Foster was fined for a trading standards offence relating to a weight loss scheme and two years later he was jailed in Britain for similar offences.
Later he was jailed in the United States for another trading standards offence – and when he returned to Britain in 2000 he was jailed again for using fraudulent documents to obtain credit for a slimming cream company.
Peter Foster’s (pictured) statement to police was never seen by the jury during Chardon’strial