Drugs, lies and Power

On a day of revelations, the defamation hearing between Mercedes Corby and Channel Seven had it all: sex, drugs, lies and protests.

Ms Corby was a trafficker and possessor of marijuana, cocaine and speed who publicly lied on occasions about her and her family’s involvement in the drug trade, a jury was told yesterday.

Giving evidence in the NSW Supreme Court on behalf of the Seven Network, Jodi Power, 35, told about the two women’s drug-hazed exploits in Australia, Japan and Indonesia during the 1990s.

Tom Hughes QC, representing Channel Seven, said the evidence would show Ms Corby had been involved in the cultivation and selling of marijuana and had also used and supplied speed, ecstasy and “shabu” – a type of methamphetamine.

He also said Ms Corby had lied to the public about her and her family’s involvement with drugs.

“Not only was Mercedes Corby involved in this vile trade – and it is vile – but so is her brother, Michael Corby,” he said.

Ms Corby has taken defamation action against 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 broadcast in February last year.

Among other claims, she says she was falsely portrayed as a drug smuggler.

Two photographs, taken by Ms Power in Bali in September 1998 of Ms Corby smoking marijuana from a “penis pipe”, were tendered into evidence by Mr Hughes.

Ms Power said one was taken after Ms Corby had “just had a puff”, while the other showed her with the pipe in her mouth and “lighting it”.

Also tendered into evidence were letters Ms Corby had sent to Ms Power.

In one of the letters, Ms Corby wrote she wanted to lose weight and she was about to go on a “speed diet”, which Ms Power said was a reference to taking the drug speed as an appetite suppressant.

Ms Power also said she had been given a substance in Bali from Ms Corby which she said was “shabu” and which was “really good, you can f*** all day.”

When Mr Hughes asked the effect “shabu” had on Ms Powers, she revealed she had “sex all day” with her partner.

“It worked?” Stuart Littlemore QC, appearing for Ms Corby, interjected.

Ms Power replied: “It did work.”

Proceedings were further enlivened when a woman in the public gallery started screaming about Schapelle Corby’s innocence, saying she was in a “sewer pit” while the only thing people in the court were talking about was money. Justice Carolyn Simpson sent the jury out and the woman was removed by security.

Ms Power will continue her evidence on Friday.

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