Court hears former top cop Mark Standen told 'many lies'

By Lisa Davies Chief Court Reporter From: The Daily Telegraph July 25, 2011 12:35PM

FORMER top cop Mark Standen had "lied without pause" in a bid to explain his criminality, giving jurors a version that was "entirely implausible", a court has heard.

Crown Prosecutor Tim Game SC has begun his closing address to the jury, who will next week begin deliberations in Standen's long-running trial.

The former NSW Crime Commission assistant director, who gave evidence in his own defence case for 16 days plus a further nine in cross-examination, is accused of conspiring to import drugs with two other men, including former informant James Kinch.

He denies three charges, and claims instead he was effectively humouring his businessman friend and alleged co-conspirator Bill Jalalaty who had a string of whacky ideas that never came to fruition.

In addressing the jury today, Mr Game said Standen had told "a series of lies - complex and interrelated lies" in trying to convince the jury he was not guilty.

"It's not a nice thing to say but the Crown case is that (Standen) lied without pause for 25 days and transparently so," Mr Game said.

"(He told) many, many, many demonstrable lies involving quite complicated ins and outs of evidence (which) can be exposed as lies."

Mr Game said the Crown submitted that Standen's evidence was "entirely implausible".

Standen had admitted in his evidence discussing with Jalalaty an "unlawful scenario" in which drugs could be imported in a shipment of rice - but he never believed his friend was serious.

Mr Game asked the jury to examine the details of Standen's version, and said they would find it untenable and unsubstantiated.

"There was no 'unlawful scenario'," he said.

"The Crown case is that Mr Standen was a persistent liar over a very substantial period of time."

Mr Game's address is expected to continue for a couple of days, before Standen's barrister Mark Ierace SC begins his closing.

Justice Bruce James is expected to sum up to the jury early next week.

Jurors must ignor even grave suspicion, says drugs trial barrister

Ellie Harvey
August 2, 2011

THE crown case at the drugs trial of the former NSW crime investigator Mark Standen does not stand up to scrutiny, his barrister has told the jury.

Mark Ierace, SC said jurors had to consider the evidence and not take into account suspicion, ''not even grave suspicion'', or speculation.

''You will be left with a reasonable doubt in respect of each count as to the accused's guilt,'' he said in the defence closing address in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday.

Mr Standen, 54, denies conspiring with the businessman Bakhos ''Bill'' Jalalaty and the drug trafficker-turned-informant James Kinch, between early 2006 and June 2008, to import pseudoephedrine, which is used to make the drugs speed and ice.

Mr Standen, the former NSW Crime Commission assistant director, has also pleaded not guilty to taking part in the supply of 300 kilograms of the substance and conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

The crown has alleged that he, Mr Jalalaty and Mr Kinch met in Dubai in January 2007 to advance their ''nefarious activities''.

But Mr Ierace referred to the ''very reliable'' evidence of Louise Baker, Mr Standen's lover, who accompanied him on the trip.

''The difficulty [in the crown case] was that she said Mr Standen was with her on that trip for 99 per cent of the time,'' he said.

Mr Ierace said if there was a conspiracy at that stage, ''it did not involve the accused''.

Mr Ierace also said that secretly taped conversations between Mr Jalalaty and Mr Standen should not be relied on because the two were not always truthful with each other.

Mr Ierace will contine his closing today.