Christchurch quake claimant battling EQC accused of splashing paint stripper on EQC cars

EQC, which still has 2,624 claims remaining from the devastating Canterbury earthquake sequence, says its vehicles were vandalised twice in 2015, prompting them to install CCTV cameras. Photo / File

A frustrated earthquake claimant battling the Earthquake Commission has been accused of squirting paint stripper over staff cars parked outside its Christchurch offices.

Semi-retired Christchurch painter and decorator Russell Taylor Carr, 57, admits having been in dispute with the much-maligned Crown entity for more than two years over a quake-damaged property but vehemently denies the vandalism allegations.

He says "extensive problems" with the Earthquake Commission (EQC), including allegations that they accused him of lying and falsifying documentation, led to a complaint being lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman.

The dispute was so stressful, Carr claimed, that he blacked out during one meeting with them and woke up in hospital.

"I've had nothing but trouble with them," Carr would tell police.

He ended up enlisting a claims advocate to deal with EQC on his behalf.

EQC, which still has 2,624 claims remaining from the devastating Canterbury earthquake sequence, says its vehicles had been vandalised twice in 2015, which prompted them to install CCTV in their staff carpark.

Shortly before 11am on July 1, 2016 a white van was recorded on security cameras driving past staff vehicles.

Grainy footage shows a clear liquid coming from the passing driver's window and splashing onto EQC cars and utes.

Two staff members say they saw the same white van return a week later.

Kevin Currie, then EQC manager of investigations and quality assurance based at Barry Hogan Place in the Addington area of Christchurch, filmed it on his cellphone and passed the footage to police.

After the alleged vandalism, EQC contacted chemical risk management firm Chemsafety to analyse the liquid.

Senior chemical consultant Janet Connochie visited the scene and collected three samples.

She noted that paint had disintegrated and laboratory tests concluded the substance to have been paint stripper or similar industrial solvent.

Constable Tony Hickland interviewed Carr four weeks later and showed him CCTV footage of a white van at EQC and liquid being sprayed from the driver's window. He suggested to Carr that it was his cellphone number painted on the side of the van, along with R.T. CARR Decorators Ltd.

When the allegations were put to Carr, he said: "Ooh that's nice. Well, it wasn't me."

He repeatedly denied the claims, and although he admitted he didn't like EQC, like thousands of Cantabrians, he said: "I'm not lowering myself to their levels."

Carr was arrested and charged with intentionally and without right of claim damaging vehicles and intending to cause loss to EQC.

Judge Stephen O'Driscoll presided over a judge-alone trial at Christchurch District Court today.

Crown prosecutor Donald Matthews said it was a circumstantial case that when all the strands are put together it leads to Carr being the culprit.

But defence counsel Josh Lucas said there was insufficient evidence to prove it had been Carr.

In cross-examination, Lucas asked Hickland if he was aware there was a face on the planet Mars.

After some clarification, Lucas suggested that the policeman was looking at CCTV footage with hindsight, and only then seeing Carr's name and number, but in reality there were only white "hazy blotches".

Judge O'Driscoll reserved his decision.