October 02, 2012

Blackmail alleged over missing cash

By David Clarkson

Threats were made in the carpark of a burger business in Christchurch when up to $35,000 in cash went missing from where it was hidden on a Nelson farm, the Crown alleged at the start of a blackmail trial in the High Court.

Crown prosecutor Kathy Bell said two men who attended the meeting wanted a $100,000 caveat over the blackmail victim?s farm and also wanted his truck.

Four people have been charged with threatening to endanger the safety of the blackmail victim and his family in their efforts to get the money back.

The jury trial before Justice Robert Dobson in the High Court at Christchurch is expected to take a week, with the Crown calling evidence from 16 witnesses.

The four all deny the allegation of blackmail, either as principal offenders or as parties. They are Terry Jones, 43, and his partner Anna Heloise Horgan, 37, of Nelson, and Ritchie Stuart Clutterbuck, 49, and Leon Delshannon Turner, 37, of Christchurch.

Bell said the blackmail victim lived on a farm south of Nelson with his wife and family in late 2010 when Jones visited and asked to hide bundles of cash totalling more than $35,000 on the farm. The farmer agreed and the?money was hidden in a shed about 100m from the road. The money stayed there for months.

The farmer was blamed when the money went missing, but he did not come up with the money.

The farmer had discussions with Horgan and Jones and then Clutterbuck called him to arrange a meeting at a carpark at a burger outlet in Christchurch. Clutterbuck invited Turner by text, to attend the meeting, telling him: ?Good pay day. 40G for us.?

Bell told the court that during the meeting pressure was applied to the farmer by ?intimidatory type conduct and threatening references? that resulted in him agreeing to a caveat over his property. The pair also sought his truck.

At the meeting, Clutterbuck referred to himself as John, and Turner called himself Cyril.

Clutterbuck and Turner have been charged as principal offenders and Jones and Horgan as parties. The Crown alleges Jones ?procured? or brought the offending about, and Horgan assisted and encouraged the offence to take place.

Bell said it did not matter if the money was owed, or if they were entitled to receive it. The way in which they had gone about requesting the money was the issue at the trial.

Threats could be express or implied and the Crown said the whole meeting in the carpark was to threaten the farmer if he did not pay up.

Defence counsel for Jones, James Rapley asked the jury to keep an open mind as they heard evidence about lives that were different from their own. Jones was in jail and not at the meeting, but the defence would be that no threats were made.

John Sandston of Nelson, for Horgan, asked the jury to consider the details of the intercepted calls and text messages. Horgan would dispute that any threat was made. He asked the jury to consider the credibility of the farmer and his family members who would give evidence.

The farmer gave evidence of Jones being a member of the Red Devils motorcycle club. He said he had known him for about 16 years. Jones came to his farm and asked to hide cash there. The farmer counted $10,000 of it and estimated there was $35,000 to $40,000 in total. He and Jones buried the money in an area called ?the deer crush? on the farm.

He told his wife he was looking after some money for Jones, but did not tell her where it was. Horgan later gave him another $5000 to add to the stash. The farmer said after Jones was arrested, he twice gave money to Horgan when she asked for it. He also borrowed $700 himself with Jones? permission. He said $6700 was removed in total.

The farmer said no-one was living at the farm after he was arrested himself in Christchurch in September 2011. On the third time he went to Nelson to check on the money, he ?freaked? when he found it was gone.

He told Horgan of its disappearance and she was ?not happy?. He also contacted Jones, telling him he did not take the money but offering to come up with $20,000 when he sold the property.

He got a text to meet a man named John at the burger outlet carpark. He met ?John? and ?Cyril? in a black van where they asked about the money, and wanted a caveat for $100,000 over his farm, and his cows, his truck, and his wife?s car. They also threatened his daughter.

The trial is continuing.