By TONY WALL
Television star Matthew Ridge was being tailed by a private investigator when he was pulled over by police in Auckland last week.
The Herald has learned that it was the investigator who called police to inform them that the former league player was allegedly driving while disqualified.
Police pulled
Ridge over on Great South Rd in Greenlane shortly before midnight on August 28. Also in the car was Nicky Watson, wife of millionaire businessman Eric Watson.
The Herald understands that the private investigator had been hired to watch Ridge and Mrs Watson, who has been separated from Mr Watson since late last year.
She will not be accompanying her husband on his permanent move to London, announced on Thursday.
Ridge, who lost his licence after he was caught speeding last year, pleaded not guilty to the driving while disqualified charge when he appeared in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday. He was remanded until November.
An Auckland woman says she told police she saw Ridge in a car on the waterfront at Kohimarama at 5pm on Thursday. She said she saw him get out of the driver's seat and into the back seat, where he lay down and covered his head. Mrs Watson got into the driver's seat and the car drove off.
Ridge said yesterday he had a day licence that allowed him to drive from 6.30am to 8.30pm Monday to Saturday. "So anybody that sees me driving - [I can] quite happily drive."
Told that a woman had seen him swapping seats with Mrs Watson, he said: "Oh please, you're kidding me, that's hilarious."
Asked about the private investigator, he said: "I know all about it ... no comment mate."
