Marc Ellis named on drugs charge, promptly apologises

Marc Ellis

Television celebrity and former All Black and Kiwis league international Marc Ellis says he is sorry for letting himself down after he admitted a drugs charge in court today.

He was fined $300 when he appeared in Auckland District Court on a charge of possessing the class B drug ecstasy.

He was caught in what police called a white collar drug ring which also named another former sporting star Brent Todd on charge sheets involved with the case.

Todd has yet to be charged although police said he would probably also face a drugs count when he returned to New Zealand.

Earlier this month Todd asked the court to lift the suppression order on his name, saying he wanted to "clear the air."

Today Ellis, dressed in a dark suit and tie, told the court through his lawyer Robert Fardell, QC, he was extremely sorry and had let himself and others down.

Ellis was of good character, had co operated with police and had accepted what he had done.

"His remorse is quite unequivocal," Mr Fardell told Judge Bernard Kendall.

Prosecutor Fletcher Pilditch, told the court Ellis, 33, and another person went to a third person's home to buy the drug.

They were told by a man at the house he had some tablets he described as "beautiful."

That man, who has also been charged with drug offences but who has name suppression, asked if they wanted 10.

Ellis spoke to his unknown associate and the pair agreed they wanted 10 tablets, Mr Pilditch told the court.

The man agreed to sell 10 tablets for $60 a tablet. Ellis and his associate left and payment was subsequently made, the court heard.

Ellis later told police he had bought five ecstasy tablets for his own use.

Judge Kendall said it was the first time Ellis had been before the court on a criminal offence and other traffic offences were not relevant.

The maximum penalty was three months in prison or a $500 fine or both but the appropriate penalty was a fine and not a jail term.

He said taking into account the cost of each tablet, the maximum fine was $300. He also ordered Ellis to pay $130 in court costs.

Ellis' name was included in court documents which named other defendants allegedly caught up in police raids in connection with an Auckland drug ring but was suppressed until today.

Mr Fardell told the court Ellis did not want the name suppression order to continue.

Ellis was accompanied in court by Ric Salizzo, producer and one of the co-hosts of the television show Sports Cafe on which Ellis regularly appears.

Mr Salizzo said he had come as a friend to offer support.

"It's what mates do," he said before the hearing.

After the court hearing Ellis and Mr Salizzo conferred for 10 minutes before leaving the court separately.

Outside the court Ellis gave a statement which lasted 15 seconds before climbing into a waiting Jaguar car and leaving.

"The one thing I want to say is I have made a really bad error of judgement.

"I would like to apologise to my parents, my family and friends and supporters.

"I made an error of judgement on an evening for which I am paying the price and I am genuinely sorry."

He refused to say any more or answer questions before driving away from the court in central Auckland.

Ellis and Todd were originally named on the charge sheets of others facing drugs charges after police said they had raided 10 addresses in inner city Auckland on July 19.

Six people were initially arrested on a variety of charges, including one person identified as the ring leader who faced 22 charges.

Those charged included Auckland multi-millionaire property developed David Henderson, 51, Auckland Euro Bar manager, Phillip James Clark, 31, Auckland businessman Elliot John Worrall, 30, and four others who have name suppression. Another person was arrested in Queenstown later last month.

Earlier this month Henderson pleaded guilty to a charge of trying to buy cocaine and received a suspended sentence. He also told the court he would make a $10,000 donation to a drug treatment centre.

Worrall pleaded guilty to possession of the party drug ecstasy in court yesterday (Thursday) for supply and will be sentenced next month.

In court today a charge of conspiring to supply cocaine against Clark was replaced by a charge of attempting to procure the drug and he was fined $250 and ordered to pay $130 in court costs.

Ellis went to the Auckland police station earlier today before he was taken to the court late in the morning by police. He spent at least three hours at the court before he appeared.

When his name was called the court registrar said he was in custody and Ellis entered the dock from the court holding cells.

- NZPA