TV show sting no cartoon caper- Kevin Meade
- June 13, 2007
LARRY Pickering, the cartoonist famous for his drawings of naked politicians, was a genial and generous host when he took two guests for a joyflight in his helicopter in April last year.
The couple, describing themselves as a businessman and his assistant, told Pickering they were interested in buying his Bell Jetranger, so he flew them from Southport on the Gold Coast to a resort on nearby South Stradbroke Island, shouted them Corona beers at an outdoor bar, and flew them back again. But Pickering, 64, became the subject of a double sting. The "potential buyers" of his chopper were actually private investigators hired by the Seven Network's Today Tonight program to expose the cartoonist's "lavish lifestyle" for a story about claims that he was failing to pay child support to his ex-wife.
And worse was to come for Pickering. He was later charged with drink-flying the helicopter and flying too low over water.
Pickering, a former tomato farmer and racehorse owner who worked as a political cartoonist for this newspaper from 1976 to 1980, faced trial yesterday in Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast on a charge of breaching Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations by drinking alcohol less than eight hours before piloting an aircraft.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, and also to charges of low-flying and failing to supply a pilot's log book to CASA.
An associate, Troy Mulligan, 31, has also pleaded not guilty to drink-flying and failing to provide a log book.
One of the private investigators, Natalie Evans, testified that she covertly filmed Pickering with a camera hidden in her handbag.
The court was shown footage shot with the concealed camera showing Pickering drinking three Coronas. The cartoonist is heard telling his guests, after quaffing his third beer: "It's all right. I fly better when I get pissed. I don't get scared."
Defence counsel John Ribbands said the footage had been unfairly obtained and unfairly used against Pickering.
Today Tonight "masqueraded" as current affairs but was actually "a bizarre form of reality TV", Mr Ribbands said. The charges against Pickering were "the biggest beat-up since my kids made pancakes".
Ms Evans and fellow investigator Colin Chapman said they were "investigative reporters", but under cross-examination, both admitted they were private investigators, not journalists.
The trial continues.