‘Mr Asia’ case: November pleas

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 3

‘Mr Asia’ case: November pleas

NZPA London • The three New Zealanders and nine Britons facing a variety of charges in the "Mr ■ Asia” drugs-murder case will plead to the charges in late November. The 12, facing charges ranging from murder to a comparatively minor' drugs charge, will be asked by Mrs Justice Heilbron to admit or deny the charges at a pretrial review, set down for November 24 at the Preston Crown Court in Lancashire. At several court appearances since, the first arrests after . the discovery of the ; mutilated body of an Auck- ■ land drugs boss, Martin i Johnstone, last October, ihone of the. 12 have been reiquir&d to pl®acL '

All three New Zealanders, however — (Terrence) Alex-1 ander Sinclair, aged 35, Karen Soich, aged 24, and! Erroll Hincksman, aged 321 — denied the charges against them at the end of the three-week committal hearing at Chorley early in June. The trial is expected to start at the Lancaster Crown i Court before Mrs Justice ! Heilbron on January 5, and Ithe pretrial review is de-i isigned to sort out what one! source close to the case ’ called “all the immediate [ : hassles.” j “It is partly a tactical j thing,” the NZPA was told, ;i“lt is for legal wheeling and I dealing.” ■ ■-