Kidnap suspect: I am not a criminal

The man accused of plotting to kidnap a Wellington man says he is "guilty of playing a stupid game" but has committed no crime.

John Burrett was yesterday revealed as a 52-year-old Wellington barrister and property developer.

He limped into the Upper Hutt District Court for his first appearance, alleging police brutality.

Burrett is the oldest of the three men facing conspiracy to kidnap charges after the discovery of an underground bunker, complete with food and a tube to supply air, in the Rimutaka Forest Park.

The other two accused are aged 34 and 21, but their names and other details remain suppressed.

Burrett - who last year toyed with the idea of running for mayor of Upper Hutt - was barefoot in pyjamas and handcuffed to a detective.

His right arm was bandaged and in a sling. He told journalists after his court appearance that he had a badly damaged arm and leg.

"A tendon in this arm's been severed by a dog bite. I've got a big chunk of flesh removed - it's gone.

"These guys [police] punched and kicked me and I'm pleading not guilty because I didn't do anything that was criminal.

"We're guilty of playing a stupid game, that's all we're guilty of."

His lawyer, Peter Richardson, later told the Herald that Burrett never intended to stalk or kidnap a member of the public - it was never meant to go this far.

His client was "very apologetic for any inconvenience he might have caused", but would plead not guilty.

"Basically, his stance is that it was a very, very elaborate game that came seriously unstuck.

"I was going to say 'jumped up and bit him' but that's probably a bad pun."

Mr Richardson said Burrett had already had plastic surgery on his arm and needed more treatment.

In other developments yesterday:

The timber bunker was airlifted out of the Rimutaka Ranges.

Details of John Burrett's background emerged.

Lawyers for the alleged kidnap victim fought in court to keep his identity secret.

Police began an investigation into how Burrett was injured.

Herald inquiries reveal that Burrett is an experienced barrister who has represented Tranz Rail and at one stage worked for law firm Minter Ellison Rudd Watts.

He was an outside contender for mayor of Upper Hutt last year and is understood to have been a former councillor in Cambridge, England, coming to New Zealand in the 1990s.

Burrett has done well in property development.

He was involved in a large subdivision near his home in Birchville, Upper Hutt, and all the sections sold.

His home is not far from the bunker site, perhaps only 10km.

He is an animal lover and was acting for 1080 Action Upper Hutt in a fight against the Wellington Regional Council's use of the poison.

He has a sticker on his letterbox that says "Poison-free property. Pets welcome."

He and his wife, Jennifer, keep rabbits and cats and, according to a neighbour, have a liking for feeding the local ducks.

When the Herald visited their home yesterday, ducks were on the road and on the doorstep.

The neighbour said Mrs Burrett, a real estate agent, had returned to the house on Wednesday night to collect some belongings.

It appeared she had no knowledge of what the men had allegedly been doing, and had been trying to work out when they could have built the bunker.

Lester Phelps, vice-president of 1080 Action Upper Hutt, said he was still stunned that the man he knew as a friend, went to the pub with and shared family meals with, had been accused of the crime.

"He's the typical English barrister, very knowledgeable and no doubt in court would be very, very aggressive, but that's what he's paid to do."

On hearing of Burrett's arrest, Mr Phelps had telephoned Mrs Burrett, who was "hysterical".

When he last saw Burrett on Saturday morning, Mr Phelps said he thought his friend looked tired and unwell.

Burrett said he had the flu, "so you say, okay, he's got a bad cold and that's how you look when you've got a bad cold".