Terry Clark (drug smuggler)

Born in Gisborne, New Zealand, Clark started his criminal career through petty crimes and was well known to police as a local thug. His career expanded in the mid-70s after meeting Johnstone who at this stage was doing financially well importing "Buddha Sticks" into New Zealand from the east. Clark and Johnstone, wanting to expand their market and money, started importing high quality white heroin into both New Zealand and Australia. This was about the time Clark moved to Australia to head the operation there. Their Asian partner based in Singapore was Choo Cheng Kui, better known as "Chinese Jack" or Jack Choo.[6]

Clark was ruthless as controller of his operations and killed a number of associates including Gregory Ollard, a Mr Asia drug supplier and heroin addict. He lured Ollard to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in the northern suburbs of Sydney, where he killed, mutilated and buried him.[7] After killing him, he drove to the home of Ollard's girlfriend in Avalon and abducted her. He then drove her to the Blue Mountains where he killed her.

Clark was well known for his womanising, and had a reputation for extreme violence. He met his first wife Sally in his early years and she was mother to his first three children. After his divorce from Sally, Clark entered into a relationship with heroin addict Norma Fleet, whom he married in Wi Tako Prison. Norma later died in mysterious circumstances. It was at this time he met his third wife, Maria Muhary with whom he fathered his fourth child, Jarrod. 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.[8] After the trial, Dine reportedly went into a witness protection program and still lives in the UK under an assumed name.[9]

After Dine, Clark became involved with Karen Mary Marie Soich, a New Zealand solicitor to whom he proposed marriage while serving at HM Prison Parkhurst, Isle of Wight, UK.[10] Soich later told the New Zealand Commission that she had put the proposal to marry Clark in abeyance.[11] Clark was arrested in bed with Karen Soich.[12]

In October 1979, Clark had Marty Johnstone (Mr Asia) lured to Britain on the pretext of a drug deal to take place in Scotland. Johnstone was murdered by his longtime friend Andy Maher under the orders of Terry Clark, and his handless body was dumped in Eccleston Delph, Lancashire, mutilated in a hasty but failed attempt to foil identification by the police. Maher not only cut off his hands, but battered Johnstone's face hoping to prevent dental identification. Initially the police were unable to identify the victim, and published a death mask of Johnstone in several newspapers to assist identification. In the end Johnstone was identified by his neck medallion that was still on the corpse.[13] Only one of Johnstone's hands was recovered by Police. Johnstone's teeth were never actually damaged, as Maher had covered Johnstone's face with a cloth.

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 died in 1983 at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight. The official cause of death given was heart attack, although the coroner's report indicated that his heart exploded. A persistent rumor was that Clark, while in jail, started passing information to the police about criminals imprisoned there, and because of this he was killed by the IRA, allegedly by being smothered with a mattress. Some reports instead say that he may have been assisted and helped escape to a military base in Australia where he was given plastic surgery and a new life.[14]

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.

• Hewitson, Michele (27 October 2004). "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.