Marty Johnstone Explained

Christopher Martin "Marty" Johnstone (1951–1979) was a New Zealand drug trafficker born in Auckland who was called "Mr Asia" by the Auckland Star newspaper in August 1978 in a series of articles by Pat Booth.[1]

Murder

In October 1979, Johnstone was lured to Britain on the pretext of a drug deal to take place in Scotland. He was murdered by Andy Maher, by order of Terrance John Clark, and his handless body was dumped in Eccleston Delph, Lancashire.[2] Maher cut off Johnstone's hands and mutilated his face in a vain attempt to foil dental identification by the police.[3]

Terry Clark, along with four others, was subsequently convicted of murdering Johnstone and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial at Lancaster Castle in 1980 was conducted under heavy security and was Britain's most expensive case at that time.[4] Clark suffered a heart attack in 1983 and died in prison on the Isle of Wight.[5]

The case was dramatised in an episode of the TV series Crime Story titled "All Good Friends: The Case of the Handless Corpse" (1992).

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: A vicious filthy thug without conscience . Booth, Pat . 10 March 2009 . Stuff . 6 December 2009.
  2. News: In crime, it pays not to talk . Hewitson, Michele . 27 October 2004 . . 20 October 2011.
  3. Lomas, David (23-29 October 2004). "The fall of Mr Asia ". New Zealand Listener. 196 (3363)
  4. News: Handless corpse case uncovered . 8 October 2009 . BBC Lancashire . British Broadcasting Corporation . 2009-10-16.
  5. Homan, Ray, "Peter Fulcher and the Mr Asia syndicate", Police News (New Zealand), Volume 39, Number 5, June 2006, page 135.