Terry Clark (drug smuggler): Difference between revisions
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[[File:Terrance Clark.jpg|thumbnail|Early Mug Shot (Circa 1970) of Terrance John Clark]] |
[[File:Terrance Clark.jpg|thumbnail|Early Mug Shot (Circa 1970) of Terrance John Clark]] |
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[[File:Terry Clark 1980.jpg|thumbnail|Terry Clark in 1980 prior to his arrest]] |
[[File:Terry Clark 1980.jpg|thumbnail|Terry Clark in 1980 prior to his arrest]] |
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[[File:Terry Clark casual.jpg|thumbnail|A more relaxed Terry Clark]] |
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'''Terrance John Clark''' (1944-1983), born in [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]], [[New Zealand]] better known as '''Terry Clark''', also known as (aliases) Terry Sinclair, Alexander James Sinclair, <ref>{{cite news|title=Sinclair, the 'nice guy' who murdered his best friend|newspaper=The Age|date=Wednesday 15 July 1981|author=Berry, Aileen|author2=Harrington, Tony|page=18}}</ref> Tony Bennetti, The Australian Jackal <ref> Mellor, Bill {{cite news |title=The Mr Asia scoreboard}} ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 30 December 1984</ref> and '''Mr Big''',<ref>{{cite news |title=Sex, drugs and murder: The truth about Mr Asia |author=Williamson, Kerry |newspaper=The Dominion Post |date=2 March 2009 |url= |accessdate=5 December 2009 }}</ref> was the head importer/wholesaler of the '''Mr Asia'''<ref>[http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/timeline&new_date=14/10 " 'Mr Asia' murder victim found"]</ref><ref>[http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3363/features/2779/the_fall_of_mr_asia.html "The fall of Mr Asia"]</ref> [[Illegal drug trade|drug syndicate]] which imported [[heroin]] into [[New Zealand]], [[Australia]] and the [[United Kingdom]] in the 1970s. |
'''Terrance John Clark''' (1944-1983), born in [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]], [[New Zealand]] better known as '''Terry Clark''', also known as (aliases) Terry Sinclair, Alexander James Sinclair, <ref>{{cite news|title=Sinclair, the 'nice guy' who murdered his best friend|newspaper=The Age|date=Wednesday 15 July 1981|author=Berry, Aileen|author2=Harrington, Tony|page=18}}</ref> Tony Bennetti, The Australian Jackal <ref> Mellor, Bill {{cite news |title=The Mr Asia scoreboard}} ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 30 December 1984</ref> and '''Mr Big''',<ref>{{cite news |title=Sex, drugs and murder: The truth about Mr Asia |author=Williamson, Kerry |newspaper=The Dominion Post |date=2 March 2009 |url= |accessdate=5 December 2009 }}</ref> was the head importer/wholesaler of the '''Mr Asia'''<ref>[http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/timeline&new_date=14/10 " 'Mr Asia' murder victim found"]</ref><ref>[http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3363/features/2779/the_fall_of_mr_asia.html "The fall of Mr Asia"]</ref> [[Illegal drug trade|drug syndicate]] which imported [[heroin]] into [[New Zealand]], [[Australia]] and the [[United Kingdom]] in the 1970s. |
Revision as of 23:30, 8 January 2013
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d3/Terrance_John_Clark.jpg/220px-Terrance_John_Clark.jpg)
Terrance John Clark (1944-1983), born in Gisborne, New Zealand better known as Terry Clark, also known as (aliases) Terry Sinclair, Alexander James Sinclair, [1] Tony Bennetti, The Australian Jackal [2] and Mr Big,[3] was the head importer/wholesaler of the Mr Asia[4][5] drug syndicate which imported heroin into New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom in the 1970s.
Career
Clark was well known for his womanising, and had a reputation for extreme violence. He met his first wife Sally Raynell in his early years and she was mother to his first three children. After his divorce from Raynell, Clark entered into a relationship with heroin addict Norma Fleet who later died in mysterious circumstances. It was at this time he met his second wife, Maria with whom he fathered his fourth child, Jerrod. While in Australia Clark became involved with Allison Raewyn Dine, a New Zealand Kindergarten Teacher from Rotorua who moved to Australia and met Clark. Dine became Clark's chief heroin courier and recruiter of other couriers, predominately other young women. Later at Clark's trial in the UK, Dine testified against Clark and was granted immunity from prosecution.[6] After the trial, Dine reportedly went into a witness protection program and still lives in the UK under an assumed name.[7]
After Dine, Clark became involved with Karen Mary Marie Soich, a New Zealand Solicitor whom he proposed marriage to while serving at Parkhurst Jail, Isle of Wight, UK. [8] Soich later told the New Zealand Commission that she had put the proposal to marry Clark in abeyance. [9]
Clark travelled to the Golden Triangle and allegedly dealt directly with the "Opium King" Khun Sa.[citation needed] Clark was also allegedly a gambler, spending thousands of dollars gambling in casinos.[citation needed]
Murder trial and death
In October 1979, Clark's friend and associate Marty Johnstone (Mr Asia) was lured to Britain on the pretext of a drug deal to take place in Scotland. Johnstone was murdered by Andy Maher (under the orders of Terry Clark) and his toothless, handless body was dumped in Eccleston Delph, Lancashire, mutilated in a hasty but failed attempt to foil identification by the police. Initially, the Police published a Death Mask of Johnstone to assist identification, but in the end Johnstone was identified by his neck medallion still on the torso. [10]
Clark was arrested in bed with lawyer girlfriend Karen Soich.[11] Clark was convicted of the contract murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. His trial at the time was the most heavily guarded in British history.
Clark suffered a heart attack in 1983 and died in prison on the Isle of Wight.[12]
In fiction
Terry Clark is the main character in the 2009 Nine Network television series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities. The character is played by Matthew Newton.
Clark was also a key character in the 2011 New Zealand television series Underbelly NZ: Land Of The Long Green Cloud. This series depicts events prior to and concurrent with Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities. In this NZ series, Clark is played by Erroll Shand.
References
- ^ Berry, Aileen; Harrington, Tony (Wednesday 15 July 1981). "Sinclair, the 'nice guy' who murdered his best friend". The Age. p. 18.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Mellor, Bill "The Mr Asia scoreboard". The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 December 1984
- ^ Williamson, Kerry (2 March 2009). "Sex, drugs and murder: The truth about Mr Asia". The Dominion Post.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ " 'Mr Asia' murder victim found"
- ^ "The fall of Mr Asia"
- ^ "The Mr Asia scoreboard"
- ^ Moor, Keith (2009). Crims in Grass Castles. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 9780857966292.
- ^ Cooke, Jenny (Tuesday, June 15, 1982). "Killer may have to wait for wedding". The Sydney Morning Herald.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "The Stewart Commission". The Age. 1 June 1983.
- ^ LANCASHIRE EVENING POST Back from the Deep! FRIDAY JULY 2, 1982
- ^ "The truth about Mr Asia". Dominion Post.
- ^ Homan, Ray, "Peter Fulcher and the Mr Asia syndicate", Police News (New Zealand), Volume 39, Number 5, June 2006, page 31.
External links
- Hewitson, Michele. "In crime, it pays not to talk". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- Booth, Pat (10 March 2009). "A vicious, filthy thug without conscience". Fairfax NZ.