Toothless Lyon chews the fat in tropical hideaway

By PHILIP ENGLISH

Millionaire Mark Lyon wants to settle down in a tropical nation, he has told an overseas interviewer.

Lyon, facing a number of charges in New Zealand, is overseas at a location that cannot be disclosed because of a High Court order.

But in an interview at a luxury beachfront apartment, he has spoken about his interest in Eastern philosophy, his missing front teeth, the fire that gutted his $3.1 million Epsom mansion and possible business opportunities overseas.

He told a media outlet that he was under a lot of stress when he first arrived in the tropical country, but was now enjoying life for the first time in a long while.

Today his lawyer will file an application to have Lyon excused from attending the Auckland District Court after a warrant for his arrest was issued last Friday when he failed to appear.

Lyon has spent much of the past two months overseas between his court appearances in Auckland on drug utensil, firearms, violence and other charges.

The 47-year-old property developer called the fire which ruined his mansion, backing onto Government House, shocking and traumatic. He denied involvement.

Within 16 days of the blaze on September 24, fires broke out at two other properties used by Lyon - his former Mission Corporation offices in central Auckland and a rural building in Queenstown.

An interest in Eastern philosophies had led Lyon to practise a more balanced life. Away from New Zealand, he said, he was able to relax and enjoy his family.

Asked about his missing front teeth, Lyon replied: "People's obsession with youth and facial beauty is an illusion."

But he added that he might get them fixed because of problems eating meat.

Lyon, a director of 17 companies in the past six years who backed Auckland's $60 million Chancery shopping centre, said he might do business in the tropical country and wanted to buy the beachfront property where he was living.

He criticised a report in the Weekend Herald about his behaviour since arriving in that country.

The Herald reported that officials wanted Lyon to leave after allegations that he had trashed hotel rooms, and they were annoyed New Zealand had not warned them he was coming.

The report was exaggerated and error-ridden, Lyon said. He was an upfront person with nothing to hide.

The High Court at Auckland granted Lyon bail on December 3, five days after he was charged with possessing explosives, a drug pipe and a pistol.

He has denied 15 charges from two incidents between November 2001 and January last year. They include assaulting a policeman, threatening to kill a policeman, stealing a $14.45 magazine, dangerous driving, assault, and using the threatening phrase, "I'll come back and smash you with a baseball bat".

On January 1, he was charged with breaching bail and exporting the class-B drug Ecstasy to Australia.

He also faces assault and firearms charges in Queenstown.

Today, lawyer Chris Comesky will ask a judge to excuse Lyon from attendance until early next month.

On Friday, Judge Simon Lockhart, QC, issued a warrant for Lyon's arrest when he failed to appear as a condition of bail.

But Judge Lockhart said the warrant should lie in the court until noon today, giving Lyon time to return to New Zealand or make an application to be excused.

Lyon is expected to appear at the Auckland District Court for a status hearing on February 10.

The next day he is due at a defended hearing in Queenstown.