Central Coast Tourism chairman allegedly deleted CCTV footage to help mate sue police

THE chairman of Central Coast Tourism allegedly deleted CCTV footage from the golf club he managed to help his mate sue the police for almost $125,000 over a wrongful drink-driving bust, a court has heard.

Craig Martin Ellis, 44, of Forresters Beach, leaving Wyong Local Court with unidentified woman. He was charged with perverting the course of justice and tampering with evidence which saw Bernard Nash successfully sue the police for wrongful arrest. Ellis was the manager of Shelly Beach Golf Club and chairman of Central Coast Tourism. Pic: Richard Noone

THE chairman of Central Coast Tourism allegedly deleted CCTV footage from the golf club he managed to help his mate sue the police for almost $125,000 over a wrongful drink-driving bust, a court has heard.

Shelly Beach Golf Club manager and tourism head Craig Martin Ellis faced Wyong Local Court this morning charged with perverting the course of justice and tampering with evidence.

The charges come after long term club member Bernard Andrew Nash successfully sued the police in August after he was pulled over in his driveway for a random breath test in October 2011.

Police noticed him leaving the club and did a U-turn but by the time they caught up some 150m away the 57-year-old had already made it into his driveway.

He did not submit to a breath test and was later charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest.

The prominent real estate agent had the charges thrown out in the local court and was later awarded $124,958.80 in a civil claim against the NSW Police Force for wrongful arrest in the NSW District Court.

In October Newcastle police launched Strike Force Valla to investigate alleged discrepancies in Nash’s evidence including assertions he had only consumed three light beers and that he was not intoxicated.

Bernard Andrew Nash leaving Wyong Local Court charged with perjury, perverting justice and fraud after successfully suing cops for wrongful arrest. Picture: Richard Noone

He was later charged with two counts of lying under oath, two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

He too faced court today and stood beside Ellis during their brief appearance in which neither men entered any pleas.

Nash’s solicitor Michael Nash sought a variation to his client’s only bail condition, which barred him from attending the club, so “he could play golf”.

“Effectively we seek that his bail condition be that he not enter the bar area of the Club House,” Mr Nash wrote in a letter tendered to court.

However the Crown prosecutor argued against the variation telling the court Nash had perjured himself in both criminal and civil proceedings which saw him win “significant damages”.

She said Ellis allegedly tampered with the CCTV footage from the club “in order to corroborate his evidence”.

The Crown prosecutor said members of the men’s family still worked there and other staff and club members may be called as witnesses.

Magistrate John Chicken asked Nash’s solicitor “why can’t he just play at another club” before refusing the bail variation.

“If there’s no employees on the brief (of evidence) then you may have a stronger case then,” he said.

Both men were adjourned to February 10 next year.

A Central Coast Tourism spokeswoman said Ellis had “stepped aside from his duties as chairman” pending the outcome of the case but “remains on the board”.

Calls to Shelly Beach Golf Club went unreturned.