Drug tape seized during 'sex diversion', court told

A youth performed oral sex on former Takapuna Grammar teacher David Norman Arthur as a diversionary tactic while another young man snatched an incriminating videotape showing drug partying, a depositions hearing at the Waitakere District Court heard yesterday.

JPs were told that the tape later formed the basis of a front-page story in the Sunday Star-Times about Arthur supplying methamphetamine.

It was later handed to the police and forms a vital part of the Crown case.

Arthur, 48, is accused of supplying methamphetamine to four young people aged 17 and 18 and of allowing his house to be used for the consumption of P.

He is also charged, with 39-year-old truck driver David Ashley Parker, of attempting to pervert the course of justice by trying to get a witness not to testify.

In his opening address, prosecutor Simon Mount told the court that during a party at Arthur's address in Glen Eden on June 28 last year, Arthur offered the four young people some methamphetamine and produced a P pipe.

While Arthur and the four young people were smoking, Arthur videotaped what was happening, Mr Mount said.

One of those present was Jonathan Marshall, former TV presenter and paparazzi photographer, who now describes himself as a licensed private investigator. He told the justices of the P-smoking and the videotaping.

Mr Marshall told Sunday Star-Times reporter Amie Richardson about what had happened. She was interested for a front-page story.

She took the four youngsters to Iguacu in Parnell for dinner on the paper's account.

Another of the group, Alexandre Kouznetsov, also told the court of the drug-taking being videotaped.

After the dinner at Iguacu with Ms Richardson, he and another young man, who had been involved in the P-smoking, went to Arthur's home to pick up the tape.

Mr Kouznetsov said his companion had distracted Arthur with "body to body contact" while he tried to get the tape out of the video camera.

Mr Marshall, who was not present at the time, told the court that the diversionary tactic had involved the youth performing oral sex on Arthur. When Mr Kouznetsov could not get the tape out, he grabbed the camera and ran.

Arthur's lawyer, Paul Dacre, implied that Mr Marshall was a publicity seeker. He asked him if he received any payment for giving the story to the Sunday Star-Times.

Mr Marshall said he had received no financial gain.

Mr Dacre then asked if Mr Marshall continued to give information to the paper so its reporters would write about him. Mr Marshall said no.

The charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice relates to an allegation that Parker, represented by Rose Thomson, phoned one of the witnesses and told him: "If you testify against David Arthur in a court of law, I will cut off your arms and legs and send them back to your parents in the post."