Biography.guide
Home › People › Drug trafficker › Marty Johnstone
Portrait of Marty Johnstone

Marty Johnstone

1951 – 1970

New Zealand drug trafficker

Drug trafficker
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Marty Johnstone

Lived 1951 – 1970 (aged 18–19). Marty Johnstone was a New Zealand drug trafficker.

Christopher Martin "Marty" Johnstone (1951–1979) was a New Zealand drug trafficker born in Auckland who was called "Mr Asia" by the Auckland Star newspaper in August 1978 in a series of articles by Pat Booth.

Murder In October 1979, Johnstone was lured to Britain on the pretext of a drug deal to take place in Scotland. He was murdered by Andy Maher, by order of Terrance John Clark, and his handless body was dumped in Eccleston Delph, Lancashire. Maher cut off Johnstone's hands and mutilated his face in a vain attempt to foil dental identification by the police.

Terry Clark, along with four others, was subsequently convicted of murdering Johnstone and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial at Lancaster Castle (during its time as HM Prison Lancaster) in 1980 was conducted under heavy security and was Britain's most expensive case at that time. Clark suffered a heart attack in 1983 and died in prison on the Isle of Wight.

The case was dramatised in an episode of the TV series Crime Story titled "All Good Friends: The Case of the Handless Corpse" (1992).

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1951
Birth century
Died
1970
Occupation
Drug trafficker
Nationality
Education
Takapuna Grammar School

People in Marty Johnstone's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Frequently asked questions

Who was Marty Johnstone?

New Zealand drug trafficker

When was Marty Johnstone born?

Marty Johnstone was born in 1951.

When did Marty Johnstone die?

Marty Johnstone died in 1970.

What was Marty Johnstone's occupation?

Marty Johnstone was a drug trafficker.

What nationality was Marty Johnstone?

Marty Johnstone was New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Marty Johnstone

· Wikidata: Q6777449

· DBpedia: Marty Johnstone

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Marty Johnstone. https://biography.guide/marty-johnstone/

MLA: "Marty Johnstone." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/marty-johnstone/.

Chicago: "Marty Johnstone." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/marty-johnstone/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:34 UTC