Mr Asia lawyer wins damages

Terry Clark. Photo / Supplied

The lawyer who represented the head of the notorious Mr Asia drug syndicate has been awarded $140,000 in a defamation case.

Peter Williams said he had "had enough" of allegations by author Gregory Hallett, who wrongly suggested in a book that the Mafia in Britain had paid the Queen's Counsel £2 million ($4.1 million).

Judge Laurie Hinton ruled in Mr Williams' favour in the Auckland District Court this week.

In his ruling, Judge Hinton said Hallett's behaviour was "outrageous" and "arrogant".

"I have not read the entire book, by any means. I have, however, seen some outrageous and absurd statements in it concerning others.

"Some of those statements are self-evidently untrue and would be regarded as such by the ordinary, reasonable, average New Zealander, in my view."

He said the compensation money could be regarded as a vindication of Mr Williams, whom he described as an "eminent legal practitioner of long standing and high reputation".

Judge Hinton said Hallett repeated his claims in a radio interview with "ease, confidence and enjoyment".

Hallett did not turn up to the proceedings and his lawyer left after failing to get an adjournment.

Mr Williams, who has practised law for more than 50 years, told the Weekend Herald he had "had a bit of flak over the years" and decided to stand up for himself.

He said the allegations had been stressful and damaging.

"I'm a great believer in freedom of expression; it is a hallmark of democracy," he said. But freedom of expression carried responsibilities and Hallett had failed to live up to those.

Mr Williams is best known for defending Arthur Allan Thomas, Winston Peters, Ballu Khan - an opponent of the Fiji regime - and Mr Asia drug lord Terry Clark.

"It [Clark] was a massive case. The jury went out for six hours, he was in custody at that stage and it was touch and go. The jury came back with a not-guilty verdict, he was released and subsequent to that, he went on and did other things overseas and was charged in England."

Clark was jailed in England for murder and died on the Isle of Wight in 1983. Shortly before he died, Clark painted Mr Williams' boat, Fidelis, which he captained in the Sydney-to-Hobart race. The painting still hangs on Mr Williams' office wall.

Hallett was phoned for comment but did not return the Herald's calls.