Just lucky at the TAB, says drug defendant

Geesche Jacobsen
July 6, 2011

A FORMER senior Crime Commission investigator, Mark Standen, regularly won ''multiple thousands'' of dollars on the horses, his trial jury has been told.

Mr Standen was asked to explain $203,000 in cash deposits to his accounts in the 29 months before his arrest on conspiracy and drug charges in June 2008.

''I used to go to the TAB to escape from the house for a while [on weekends],'' he said yesterday.

He said he usually selected three races in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and placed trifecta bets totalling up to $450, ''frequently'' collecting winnings. Mr Standen also said he regularly ''drained'' some accounts to deposit money in others and ''made the money go round and round''.

But the Crown Prosecutor, Tim Game, SC, said figures showed that while Mr Standen had had $400-$700 a week available to spend, he had outgoings that averaged $3700 a week.

Mr Standen said: ''It does not sound right … it seems like a lot of money. I don't know the ins and outs of it all. I agree it's massive.''

He is accused of conspiring with businessman Bill Jalalaty and former informer James Kinch to pervert the course of justice, import pseudoephedrine and of taking part in the supply of 300 kilograms of the substance.

Mr Standen also rejected suggestions money he received from Mr Kinch had compromised him.

''You didn't think, 'I had better tell the Crime Commission about this because there's an attempt to corrupt me'?'' Mr Game asked.

''You're right, I didn't think that,'' Mr Standen said, explaining he had ''compartmentalised'' his life.

He also said Mr Kinch's request for a reward from the Crime Commission was ''unconnected'' to his payments to Mr Standen and Mr Jalalaty.

The trial continues.