Damien Grant

Ireceived an email last week from a dear friend who ranted, in response to a recent judicial decision; ‘‘A result but nary a mention of some boastful gossiping idiot, drunk with the love of the sound of his own voice, who should eat humble pie for the remainder of his unnatural life.’’

No-one has captured my essence so perfectly before. The author was Robert Walker. An erratic, brilliant and emotive liquidator friend of mine who has spent a decade engaged in a titanic struggle with the erratic, brilliant and unemotive Christchurch businessman, David Henderson.

This is a cautionary tale on the perils of gossip and the prevalence of recording technology.

Henderson is famous for losing, winning, and then losing successive battles with the Inland Revenue Department. He had a development business that collapsed in 2010.

At least $70 million was lost and, subsequently, Robert became its liquidator. He sued the firm’s accountants, PwC, for some alleged irregularities.

After many long years a confidential settlement was hammered out. The amount was the best-kept secret in town, going by the number of people entrusted to keep it.

Robert, it should be said, is sufficiently self-aware not to play poker. Finessing from him a guess of the settlement was as simple as floating a few numbers and watching his body language.

Despite settling with PwC, a cavalcade of litigation between Henderson and Robert remains afoot, consuming the time and capital of both

‘‘You like to gossip?’’ the judge inquired, most helpfully. ‘‘I do,’’ I confirmed.