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Brimble men
predatory drug dealers: witness
David King
November 28, 2006
SEVEN "men of interest" in the cruise
boat death of Dianne Brimble have been accused of large-scale drug dealing
in Adelaide nightclubs, with a new witness raising allegations of predatory
sexual behaviour, violence and police corruption.
The witness, codenamed Mr White, will tell the coronial inquest into
Brimble's death about alleged drug dealing, violent nightclub bashings,
links to outlaw motorcycle gangs and offers of drugs for sex at clubs.
Ron Hoenig, counsel assisting the
coroner, said yesterday he had been provided with a statement containing the
explosive allegations and intended to call the witness as soon as possible
this week.
Mr Hoenig summarised part of the
evidence in court yesterday.
"Mr White, I anticipate, will give
evidence that he has, since he was a young person, lived in South Australia
and has known Petar Pantic, Mark Wilhelm, Dragan Losic, Matthew Slade, Luigi
Vitale, Leo Silvestri and Charlie Kambouris," he said. "He will, I
anticipate, give evidence ... that all of the persons I have just named are
involved in the distribution of drugs.
"He will give evidence that he doesn't
think that any of these persons work much because they spend most of their
time in clubs dealing drugs."
Brimble, 42, died on the floor of a
cabin aboard the P&O cruise ship Pacific Sky on September 24, 2002, after
ingesting a toxic mix of alcohol and gamma hydroxybutyrate, also known as
fantasy.
A group of eight men, originally from
Adelaide, who were on board have been identified as persons of interest to
police. Mr Hoenig said Mr White would give evidence that he had seen the
eighth person of interest, Ryan Kuchel, "self-indulging on ecstasy" at the
Soda Room nightclub in Adelaide.
Mr White had also allegedly seen at
least one of the men offer young women drugs, including ecstasy and fantasy,
at clubs in exchange for sex.
"Dragan Losic would often go up to
girls and say he would give them drugs 'if they f..ked him'," Mr Hoenig
said.
"He would focus on young girls from 17
to 20 years of age."
Mr Hoenig said Mr White had alleged
that in 2004 members of the Finks motorcycle gang bashed Mr Losic because
they "did not like what he was doing". Mr White also alleged he had seen Mr
Wilhelm and Mr Slade taking drug-affected girls to nightclub car parks.
"He would see Wilhelm and other
persons take the girls out to the car park, he would see them go into a
white Toyota Celica, and he would see the car rocking like they were having
sex," Mr Hoenig said.
On occasion, there would be up to
three men in a car with one girl and sometimes a group of people outside the
car, Mr Hoenig said.
NSW Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline
Milledge warned that Mr White's evidence was "untested at this stage".
It is expected that he will give
evidence in open court but will sit behind a screen.
Mr White alleged that between 2001 and
last year the men would visit the Adelaide nightclubs Chemistry on Thursday
nights, Soda Room on Friday, Club Land on Saturday and Day Club on Sunday.
They would also allegedly frequent the
club Rise, which Mr Hoenig said allegedly had links to the Rebels motorcycle
gang.
Mr Hoenig said the witness would
allege Mr Wilhelm, Mr Pantic and members of the Hells Angels motorcycle
gangs had been involved in a fight in a nightclub in which baseball bats
were used.
Mr White alleged that Mr Slade had
dealt pills, ketamine, fantasy, cocaine, methamphetamines and LSD to
"everyone in clubs".
"In some clubs he'd pull the drugs out
and put them on the table so everyone could see them," Mr Hoenig said.
"He will assert that they are selling
ounces of methamphetamine a day and thousands of tablets per day.
"He will give evidence that Matthew
Slade had the protection of the Jokers motorcycle club and police officers.
"He has been told this by Slade, who
has bragged about it," Mr Hoenig continued.
The witness alleged Mr Slade had a
drug-dealing house in inner-city Adelaide but had moved to another location
for improved security.
The witness allegedly saw bundles of
notes, which Mr Slade told him were each worth $20,000, at the location.
Mr Hoenig said the witness had "become
aware Wilhelm, Slade and Pantic were involved in drug dealing".
He would give evidence about seeing a
bottle of Coca-Cola which contained fantasy and later taking drugs from the
bottle.
He also alleged that Mr Slade had
complained about the operation of his pill-making equipment.
The inquest is set to continue in
Sydney tomorrow.
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