Security consultant Adrian Gard has appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea to the charge public mischief which relates to the bugging scandal that erupted last year when a listening device was found in the All Blacks’ hotel room.
Police intend to allege that the device was planted and then later “found” by Gard, and that Gard later gave a false statement about finding the device.
Simon Joyner, Gard’s lawyer, said Gard would enter a ‘not guilty’ plea.
“He has participated with the police investigation and he respects the All Blacks and what they represent,” Joyner said.
Gard has worked in the security industry for more than three decades. His hearing will continue on May 2.
Gard has previously publicly denied that he has done anything wrong.
“The bug was news to me, I literally had no idea about it, until I was told about it. I’m really annoyed about the whole thing to tell you the truth… I’m just going to ride the next few months out, the truth will come out in the end,” Gard said in February.
“People who work with me can vouch for my reputation.
“My work speaks for itself. I don’t know anything about this stupid bloody bug.”
The news comes as the latest development in what has been a bizarre scandal that has done some damage to the relationship between Australian and New Zealand rugby.
There was significant bad blood at the time as All Blacks’ management waited until the day of the game to announce that the device had been found, even though it had been found five days earlier.
No one from the All Blacks accused Australia of any wrongdoing, the incident proved to be a significant distraction for the team ahead of a vital Bledisloe Cup match, which was easily won by New Zealand.
ClarkeG
Guest
clearly you didn't lie down long enough .... mate.
ClarkeG
Guest
Basil - pay very careful attention. At a certain time in a certain place in the 1920s, the racehorse that was known as Phar Lap, was foaled near Timaru (NZ) - progeny of a NZ mare. That is fact. It can't be disputed. No one has ever claimed he raced in NZ. He was not of racing age when he left NZ. What on earth has the statue being erected in 2009 got to do with anything. Was it to be somehow erected other than retrospectively.Those are rhetorical questions by the way. Goodness me. I think OB is right - it's like having a conversation with Manuel. Any further boorish nonsense - please take it up with Sybil.
ClarkeG
Guest
I will try and remember that 'm' word in case it ever comes up in the daily crosswords.
soapit
Guest
i doubt many go the whole way to all blacks planting the bug themselves. mucking about with the reporting/timing of the announcement to gain additional advantage i think you'll find a few believers (no stone unturned and all that). i can certainly understand how people could believe that. myself i have it as fairly high incompetence/naivety rather than malevolence
Basil
Guest
that statue was erected in 2009!! retrospective history?? how many times did phar lap race in NZ? ANS: ZILCH!!! truth is that no matter how hard kiwis try they cannot invent a history 80 years after the fact. History happens at a time and place, it is a product of the society and culture of the time. end of story.
Basil
Guest
good advice indeed mate, perhaps you should take it?
ebop
Guest
ARU?
ClarkeG
Guest
que - que - que ? Your right about Sybil - she will be at the golf club.
Old Bugger
Guest
CG Except, he's behaving like Manuel......cos Sybil, is way too smart, for the both of them.
ClarkeG
Guest
And his heart is somewhere else - can't recall where exactly.
soapit
Guest
i think you xan see the stuffed body in melbourne museum clarke (apprently sans skeleton)
ClarkeG
Guest
Hansen slipped out of the country the next day...(when should he have left?).......hahaha .......look you could write a fictional crime novel with this type of exaggeration.
ClarkeG
Guest
Yes it has. Go back and read the respective articles in this forum. Maybe you didn't read them all. As you said...let's see.
ClarkeG
Guest
OB - I think you will find he is more familiar with Sybil.
ClarkeG
Guest
No one's pretending anything Basil. Phar Lap was born near Timaru in the 1920's (there is now a statue of him on the property I believe) and his skeleton is at TePapa. Now why don't you have that lie down.
RobC
Roar Guru
haha. me too :D
Connor33
Guest
Nup.
Connor33
Guest
So why is it back in the papers in Oz and NZ , with charges filed and a court hearing set in May? That's news to me vis a vis last August when Gard an Hansen thought they could slip out of the country the next day and see it all blow over. Hasn't happened yet. Can someone tell me if Gard is still security head for the ABs? Either he'll get convicted which will lead to dismissal or the Abs have sacked him for letting an unsophisticated bug into the hotel, despite the call that it was sophisticated back in August. Further new news to me. Happy to be enlightened on Gard's current employment?
Old Bugger
Guest
Its alright Basil......one day, the penny may drop......till then, to be or not to be, aye?? That, was the question but what a pity, you weren't smart enough, to recognise it.
Connor33
Guest
The credibility issue hasn't. And isn't interesting that Hansen isn't saying Gard's innocent. Just that he's got an excellent reputation in the eyes of the ABs. But really, has Hansen, or anyone stated on record why it game out the day of the test, rather than 5 days earlier when both knew. That wouldn't be fake news, nor crappy news. We'd all be quite enlightened by new news. That's the issue here--tethered directly to the now credibility gap in a court of law. Though a hard charge to prove, though I am a little surprised Gard and NZ rugby did not hire the best QC in Sydney to defend him. I don't think the current solicitor is much chop--his public comment yesterday certainly wasn't to clever. At times like this, you shut up and not talk about the Abs. He did the opposite. I wonder if AIG has heard about the whole fiasco yet....interesting times...