Fake digger's appeal bid knocked back

A man convicted for impersonating a Vietnam War veteran in an Anzac Day parade has had a legal bid to clear his name knocked back by the Queensland Court of Appeal.

John Anthony Hines was convicted and fined after marching in a 2012 procession in Brisbane alongside members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam while wearing various ribbons and medals.

An appeal to the District Court to overturn the conviction failed in November 2014 - an outcome repeated on Tuesday when his claims in an application for leave to appeal, including that a substantial injustice had occurred, were also rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Hines was charged with two offences when he first came before the courts - falsely representing himself to be a returned soldier and improperly wearing service decorations - and slapped with a recognisance order of $1000 and a $500 fine.

It had been contended he did serve in the Citizens Military Force but never in an overseas service nor did he receive any award, with no records of him receiving the decorations he wore in the parade.

Hines, now aged in his early 70s, didn't give evidence at the trial but claimed in a police interview he was part of a clandestine, deep cover, special forces black ops unit, the judgment said.

It was called MASK, Military Assessment Service Keep, it states.

"(Hines) said (his service) included five or six missions in Vietnam, in 1968, 1969 and the early 1970s."

He said the medals were conferred on him in secret ceremonies.

Hines argued he didn't get a fair trial because he wasn't allowed to give evidence at the hearing and that his solicitor didn't act in accordance with his wishes.

But the judge found Hines couldn't objectively prove the MASK unit existed, that he served in it or that he received medals for the elusive unit.

This conclusion didn't display an error of law and as such, an extension for Hines' late-filed application for leave to appeal and to put forward further evidence was denied.