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Photos show party girl Mercedes Corby |
Malcolm Brown - May 2, 2008
Photos of Mercedes Corby allegedly smoking marijuana, as submitted to court during the defamation case against Network Seven.
Photo: Supplied
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Photographs of Mercedes Corby allegedly smoking marijuana and handling drugs in other situations were released in court today during her defamation case against Channel Seven.
The former best friend of Mercedes, Jodie Power, has told the court this week that she had taken drugs in company with Ms Corby and others and had communicated with her about drugs such as ecstasy, speed and marijuana over several years.
In July 1998 they had travelled to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. In Bali, where they had stayed at a resort, they met a friend, Steve Reuben, and Ms Corby and Mr Reuben were photographed allegedly smoking marijuana through a "penis pipe".
The photographs, including one of Ms Corby with the pipe in her mouth, were tendered into evidence on Wednesday by Tom Hughes, QC, representing the defendants in a defamation action brought by Ms Corby.
More photographs were tendered by counsel representing Channel Seven this morning.
Justice Carolyn Simpson said today that although counsel for Mercedes Corby did not approve of the release of the photographs, they had been tendered into evidence and were therefore public exhibits.
Also tendered into evidence in the Supreme Court this week were letters Ms Corby had sent to Ms Power. Ms Power said that the term "mo" allegedly referred to marijuana, "stoned" referred to being under the influence of marijuana, "e's" referred to "ecstasy", and "speed trip" referred to taking the drug speed, which suppressed appetite.
Ms Power said Ms Corby had allegedly taken a drug called "shabu", and she had taken it as well. When Mr Hughes asked what it was like, she said she and Mr Reuben had had "sex all day". Mr Hughes: "It worked."
In one of the letters, Mercedes also said that she was concerned about losing weight and that she was about to go on a speed diet which Jodie Power said was a reference to taking the drug speed as an appetite suppressant.
Ms Corby is suing Channel Seven Sydney, the Seven Network, the producers of Sky News, the presenter of Seven's Today Tonight, Anna Coren, a Today Tonight reporter, Bryan Seymour, and Ms Power over three Today Tonight programs and a news report in February last year in which Ms Power said Ms Corby was involved in the drug trade.
Ms Corby's sister, Schapelle, was jailed in Indonesia after being arrested in October 2004 for trying to smuggle a bag of marijuana into Bali.
Stuart Littlemore, QC, is representing Ms Corby in her defamation action against Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd.
Ms Power, interviewed by the presenter Anna Coren and the reporter Bryan Seymour, was driven by hatred towards Ms Corby, Mr Littlemore said, and the "celebrity" status from her "15 minutes of fame", and the $100,000 Channel Seven had offered her, in addition to an all-expenses paid holiday in Canada.
Schapelle Corby Case Information
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Corby friend paid $120k for story |
Lauren Wilson- April 29, 2008
Mercedes Corby and Jodi Power in Bali during Schapelle's trial. They are no longer friends
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A WOMAN at the centre of the Mercedes Corby defamation case was paid $120,000 by Today Tonight for an interview, a court has been told.
A lawyer for Ms Corby told the NSW Supreme Court that Today Tonight had used all the cheap tricks of tabloid journalism in their conspiracy to fabricate lies about her.
On the second day of a defamation battle between Ms Corby, sister of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, and the Seven Network, counsel representing Ms Corby, Stuart Littlemore said his client was unjustfully subjected to "a trial by media''.
"They conspired to create the most sensational program they could by telling lies,'' Mr Littlemore told the court.
Ms Corby is suing the Seven Network, Today Tonight host Anna Coren, journalists Bryan Seymour and former best friend Jodie Power for defamation over three Today tonight programs and one news segment that aired in February last year and included a paid interview with Ms Power.
The programs are alleged to infer Ms Corby was a drug smuggler with a history of drug use and interfered in her sister's legal battle in Bali.
Mr Llittlemore alleged journalist Mr Seymour, ''put words in her (Jodie Power's) mouth, twisted her words and created a dishonest and untruthful program''.
Mr Littlemore also said Ms Power was a fantasist motivated by ''hatred, money and celebrity'' and that Channel Seven knew all along that Ms Power's allegations were false.
The Seven Network are pleading truth and contextual truth as their defence. The trial is expected to last for more than three weeks.
Ms Corby, Ms Coren and Ms Power were all present at the NSW Supreme Court today.
Schapelle Corby Case Information
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