Todd flies home to face celebrity-drug-ring case

Brent Todd said he had returned to appear in court today. Picture / Greg Bowker

Former rugby league star Brent Todd, who is wanted by the police for questioning over his alleged involvement in the so-called celebrity drug ring, arrived at Auckland Airport late last night.

Police had said they would arrest Mr Todd if he came back from Queensland, where he has been working as a labourer.

Mr Todd has been named as joint offender in charges laid against company director John Francis Waterworth.

One charge alleges that Waterworth "jointly offended with Brent Trevor Todd" in supplying cocaine to another person on June 10 last year. Another alleges Waterworth jointly offended with Mr Todd in supplying cannabis on June 30 last year.

Waterworth also faces charges of dealing in methamphetamine and Ecstasy.

Mr Todd has not been charged with any offence and has maintained his innocence.

He told the Herald at the airport that he had returned to appear in the Auckland District Court today for Waterworth's trial.

"I'm here because I'm going into court [today] ... I can't say anything. I have to speak to my lawyer. I thought my lawyer was supposed to meet me here."

At the suggestion that the police had said they would arrest him if he returned to NZ, Mr Todd said, "I don't know about that ... No deal has been struck."

Early this year Waterworth, 56, was released from jail and confined to a yacht called Absolut, moored near Princes Wharf.

The high-profile drugs case has already snared a conviction for former All Black Marc Ellis and affected the reputations of others caught in its wake, including TV personality Lana Coc-Kroft and former All Black Josh Kronfeld.

In June the Herald on Sunday reported that Waterworth was initially released on bail to Clarks Beach on the Manukau Harbour but negative reaction in the small community forced him out.

Jonathan Down, one of the Crown prosecutors in the case, said Waterworth was bailed after the court accepted he was having difficulty preparing for his defence while on remand in prison.