Lawrence Ashley Arthur (65) was unmasked after he pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and was sentenced at the Dunedin District Court to eight months’ home detention in March.
Because of his actions, and his possible collusion with the complainant in the bungled blackmail bid, the five counts of rape and one of unlawful sexual connection against his target were dismissed a year earlier.
But the professional Mr A (whose name is suppressed) was not in the clear until last month when Judge Kevin Phillips permanently suppressed his identity.
The details of what he called a "complex but also somewhat unique" case can finally be revealed, four years since its genesis.
The alleged sex attacks, which the complainant told police happened at Mr A’s workplace, resulted in him being interviewed by officers in mid-2019.
He made sweeping denials.
Investigations continued and another meeting with police was organised for September 4 that year.
Enter Lawrie Arthur.
Just two days before the scheduled sit-down, Arthur knocked on the door of the prominent professional.
The man’s son answered and said his dad would be home later.
Arthur returned that evening and finally met his mark.
He knew Mr A’s name, his profession and details of the allegations against him.
He could be his "best friend", Arthur said, he could keep him out of prison.
When the man’s wife arrived home, a meeting in St Clair was hastily arranged for the following day.
At 4pm on September 3, 2019, Arthur arrived at the designated coastal carpark and climbed into the passenger seat of the defendant’s car.
The proposal was simple, $50,000 and the woman who had accused him of rape would call off the prosecution.
Arthur said he would share the cash with her.
Before giving Mr A two weeks to consider the offer, Arthur made some suggestions to assist the man with his decision.
Had he considered spending 15 years in Christchurch Men’s Prison where he would be brutalised by guards?
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to hand over the 50 grand rather than blow more than that on lawyers?
Their follow-up meeting never occurred and at the defendant’s interview with police the following day, he admitted he had had sex with the woman.
It had been consensual, he stressed.
Despite an initial decision by the Crown not to lay charges, that was overturned on review and the man appeared in court in December 2020.
He did not mention his rendez-vous with Arthur until the following year — but when he did, the sex case began to crumble.
In May 2021, Arthur was interviewed by police.
He claimed not to know Mr A or where he lived, but when he was spoken to again a month later, his story changed.
In a written statement, Arthur said a stranger had knocked on his door and provided him with the man’s address.
He only went there to find out what was going on, he said.
The subsequent beach-front meeting was supposedly Mr A’s idea and it was he who made the five-figure offer to quash the sex complaint.
But behind the scenes officers uncovered evidence that suggested otherwise.
Cellphone data showed Arthur and the complainant in the sex case had four conversations in early September 2019, one of which came just half an hour before the St Clair meeting with Mr A.
In September 2021, counsel for the prominent professional Anne Stevens KC argued the rape case going before a jury would result in "unsafe" verdicts.
She highlighted evidence that showed the woman had raised the subject of blackmail with a therapist in 2017.
The complainant later explained it away, saying she was "messed up" at the time.
She told police she could not remember what she had discussed with Arthur just minutes before he demanded $50,000 from Mr A.
Judge Kevin Phillips was sceptical.
"It appears to me that there is at least circumstantial evidence which would indicate her involvement in the alleged attempt at blackmail," he said.
"I am of the view that the presentation of the complainant is such that her ability to be believed in an overall sense, let alone just on the issue of consent or whether the defendant could have a reasonable belief she was consenting, is such that she could only be said to be totally unreliable."
He dismissed the charges and interim name suppression continued until a couple of weeks ago when Mrs Stevens argued for its indefinite continuation.
"The defendant has a reputation to protect. He is in demand in his chosen field of endeavour. However, trust in him is critical to his ability to [work]," she said.
"Publication of his name at this stage would cause enormous personal hardship."
The Crown opposed the order but Judge Phillips could not be swayed.
"The position he would then find himself in would be an intolerable one, in relation to his work and his life generally," he said.
Arthur is serving his home detention in what appears to be a converted bar in South Dunedin.
Judge Michael Turner, who sentenced him, said there appeared to be no remorse on his part.
"This was a very clear and brazen attempt to interfere with the course of justice," he said.
"You were acting out of greed to line your own pockets. Your level of culpability is high."
Arthur accepted his guilt but was cagey when he spoke to the Otago Daily Times at his house.
He refused to go into detail about the background but said "there’s a lot more to it".
Crumbling case
2016: Complainant confides in counsellor, making sexual allegations against Mr A.
May, 2019: Mr A is interviewed by police, claims there was no sexual contact with complainant.
Sept 2, 2019: Lawrence Arthur visits Mr A’s home, arranges to meet the next day.
Sept 3, 2019: At a St Clair carpark, Arthur demands $50,000 to make the sex allegations go away.
Sept 4, 2019: Mr A admits to police he had sex with complainant, says it was consensual.
Dec, 2020: Rape charge is laid
May, 2021: Arthur tells police he has never met Mr A.
Jun, 2021: Changes his story to say Mr A was the one who made the offer of cash.
Mar, 2022: Judge Kevin Phillips dismisses sex charges.
Mar, 2023: Arthur is sentenced to eight months’ home detention for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Jun, 2023: Mr A’s name is permanently suppressed.
