‘Dealer lived for gambling’

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 15

‘Dealer lived for gambling’

PA Lancaster An alleged Sydney heroin dealer. Jimmy Shepherd, in fact lived for gambling and was known around the city as "Diamond Jim,” the "Mr Asia” trial heard vesterday.

It was nothing for the New Zealander to put $NZ65.000 on the nose of a horse, according to fellow countryman, Errol Hincksman. Two New South Welshmen named at the trial, Roberto Fionna and Robert Trimbole, were big gamblers in the same style, Hincksman said during a statement from the dock.

“There's a lot of gambling in Sydney, Australia,” he told the Lancashire jury. “A lot of it is nearly legal. Australians are gamblers and they turn a blind eye to it.” In the statement, which is likely to be Hincksman’s only defence, he answered prosecution allegations of his role in the conspiracy with detailed explanations about his personal life. “There is no way that I have ever conspired to import drugs into this country,” he said.

But he could not give evidence on oath because of charges he faced in New Zealand and possibly Australia.

“I wish to face them when the outcome of this case is known and I wish to face

them fairly and unprejudiced." he said.

Speaking at one stage of an address book that has become a Crown exhibit, he said it was true that part of the book was in code.

"I had a number of things to hide, mostly concerning Australia and the people I was involved with in Australia.”

Twice during the course of the reading, Hincksman paused to comment about it. “I am extremely nervous and I detest having to talk about personal relationships.” he said. “I hate talking about all this, I really resent it.”

The dark-featured Wellingtonian, aged 32, was fashionably dressed in a cream suit as he stood in the dock, reading slowly through his lengthy speech.

He said he left his home town late in 1978 after agreeing to separate from his de facto wife, Sue, and their son, Cane.

“The relationship was on the rocks, but right at this time I got involved in a receiving charge,” he said. Bailed out of the charge involving SNZ2O,OOO worth of electrical goods, he absconded to Sydney where he met others like himself, •‘New Zealanders who had gone over to Australia because of domestic hassles and stuff like that.”

They used to gather at a

bar called Eliza's, where Hincksman said he met Shepherd.

About this time he also met Allison Dine, the Rotorua woman who has since become a key prosecution witness. She told the Court that Hincksman was introduced to her by Shepherd as a man who had come over to work for him. “I can understand her saying that I worked for Jimmy, because it’s the kind of thing Jimmy would say. It sort of boosted his ego,”' Hincksman said.

“But I never worked for Jimmy and I never worked for any drugs, operation.” He began a casual affair with Miss Dine, who. he said, was secretive about her business with Shepherd. They found out that they both knew Terry Clark — the alleged ring leader charged as Alexander Sinclair — but their relationship ended and he began another with a woman called Vicki. “I don’t want to use her full name because of the publicity in Australia, but the Lancashire police know her —• they interviewed her here,” he said. Hincksman said that through Shepherd he met Sinclair again. After finding out about his domestic “hassles,” Sinclair, who was going to Europe while his New Zealand house was built, suggested Hincksman

join him there. "I knew his initial wealth had come from Thai sticks, and after he made his money he invested it in business, land, horses,” he said.

“I was in no way instructed or summoned to come to the U.K., as Dine suggested, by Terry or anybody else nor did I pass a message asking her to come over. It’s just not true.” Hincksman explained that he left for London after "purely personal” problems became too much. He said his common law wife. Sue, was feeling put out. and his son. Cane, was being used in an emotional blackmail. To make it worse, the situation was “tearing apart” his girl-friend. Vicki. After approaching Sinclair in London he found that other acquaintances, Shepherd, Fionna and Dine were also there.

In early September he returned to Australia, stopping at Singapore on the way to visit the man known as “Mr Asia,” Christopher .Martin Johnstone, at his invitation. He wanted to see his son on the boy’s birthday but could not agree on a reconciliation with his common law wife and after talking to Sinclair in London, decided to go back there. He flew by Concorde. “I really thought it was the most beautiful thing there was and I always wanted to

catch it,” he said. But its stringent security made it impossible for him to have carried drugs from Singapore to London as the prosecution had insinuated.

Once in London he stayed with Sinclair again and they went out gambling. One night they won a large amount of monev. Hincksman ended up .with £3500 (SNZB4OO). “We were still celebrating the next morning and Terrydecided to buy a Jaguar XJS,” he said.

“He rang around and eventually got one from H. and R. Owen. The man brought it around and couldn't believe it when Terry paid for the car in cash, put him in a cab and sent him back to work." ;

The same week-end Hincksman was arrested by Sussex police. A suitcase belonging to an alleged syndi-j cate member, "Chinese! Jack,” was in the car boot at! the time as he had. left it with Hincksman. . '' j But the New Zealander said he could not tell police the truth about it because he did not want to involve anyone else. :

Hincksman said he was bailed from a marijuana possession charge with a surety j to Sinclair’s chauffeur. Syl-i vester Pidgeon, whose house he stayed at before being arrested with Sinclair on October 31, 1979.