Manager at trendy bar named in celebrity drug case

A manager at Auckland's trendy Euro Bar and Restaurant and a Herne Bay businessman have been named in the celebrity drug case.

The bar manager is 31-year-old Philip James Clark, who is jointly accused of conspiring to supply cocaine with a 55-year-old company director, who still has name suppression.

The businessman is 30-year-old Elliot John Worrall, who is charged with possessing Ecstasy for supply in June.

Clark, who lives in Grey Lynn, was not at work last night when the Herald contacted Euro Bar and Restaurant. An employee said he would be back tonight but referred all calls to the company director, who was not available for comment.

Clark is himself a director of three active companies, McKenzie Carter Investments, PC North Investments and Whaka Whanui Ltd. He also holds shares in several companies and is understood to have links with other popular Auckland bars.

Two of his previous companies, the Foundation for Youth Development and Participation and Doolans Holding, were struck off the register in 2003.

Clark was a co-director of Doolans Holding with high-profile former bar owner Leo Molloy, and a shareholder of Danny Doolans, an Irish pub at the Viaduct Harbour until last year.

Both Clark and Worrall were granted interim name suppression when they first appeared in court with four others two weeks ago.

Neither man asked for that suppression to be continued when he reappeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday.

A third man to be named in the drug bust is multi-millionaire property developer David Henderson, who pleaded guilty to a cocaine charge when he appeared in court on Monday.

Henderson is the man behind the development of Auckland's waterfront at Princes Wharf, where Euro Bar and Restaurant is based.

The two celebrities named in court documents are yet to be charged and have name suppression.

Speculation on the identities of the sports celebrities still under the blanket of name suppression has been rampant since the scandal broke.

Emails purporting to name the pair have criss-crossed the country, with some commentators claiming that the case highlights the flaws in suppression law.