The Russian, the drug lords and a $240k supercar
THE Russian defacto of a deceased Gold Coast corporate spiv who claims that a Lamborghini Diablo seized by police from a drug lord is hers, appeared in a Brisbane court yesterday.
Nelli Gennad’evna Erchova, 49, an accountant from Helensvale, was in the Supreme Court where Justice James Douglas ordered cannabis trafficking kingpins Terry Thornbury and Justin Corke to appear in court for grilling by lawyers.
The state government is claiming the $240,000 car belongs to them, as it was seized from Corke under proceeds of crime laws.
But Erchova claims it is hers, arguing her defacto husband Rick Mayne gave it to her for her 40th birthday on July 7, 2008.
Her claim is at odds with Corke who claims he bought the car from Terry Thornbury, a licenced car dealer, for $60,000 in May 2010.
The car was seized by police on March 25, 2014 when it was found parked at Corke’s Pimpama home during police raids.
Russian-born Ms Erchova previously told the court that she was with Mayne – 31 years her senior – for seven years until Mayne’s death in 2011.
Mayne is best known for being one of the state’s shortest lived multi-millionaires. He was once worth $50 million, when his unlisted company Split-Cycle Technology raised about $200 million from mum and dad investors by claiming to have invented a revolutionary engine for cars. Mayne’s engine was never used in a car and the company collapsed, losing thousands of investors funds.
Ms Erchova declined to comment when approached outside court yesterday.