Death in the spa pool: ex-friends claim they tried to save the life of an American polo player

Joseph Douglas McGirr tried to hide evidence after an American polo player died of a drug overdose at his home, Crown says, but his defense says he cooperated with police.

Lauren Mikaila Biddle, 22, died in the early hours of October 22, 2018, after taking drugs at a meeting at McGirr’s home in Clifton, Christchurch.

McGirr is on trial in Christchurch District Court on two counts of supplying a class B drug and perverting the course of justice. He denies these charges, but previously admitted to a charge for growing cannabis.

The 39-year-old man took the stand Wednesday to give his version of what happened, contradicting testimony given Monday by Guy Higginson, who was at the home when Biddle died.

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Higginson had told the jury that McGirr gave him and Biddle lines of ecstasy smashed on a cutting board, which the three of them snorted.

Higginson said Biddle later lost consciousness, pulled her out of the spa pool and performed CPR on her, while McGirr just watched.

McGirr called the claims “utter nonsense” and said Higginson and Biddle had inhaled crushed tablets in the kitchen “without any instruction or influence from me.”

He said he was the one who pulled Biddle out of the pool and had also saved Higginson, who was unconscious and “almost under water.”

“He was probably 30 seconds from drowning.”

Higginson was “completely drunk, incoherent and uncoordinated” when he finally recovered, McGirr said.

He told Higginson to take Biddle to the hospital because he was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet and was under a curfew for driving under the influence.

Crown prosecutor Kerry White questioned how Higginson could be “completely incoherent” after nearly drowning one minute, but was able to get Biddle out of the house and call 111 the next.

She told the jury that it didn’t make sense that McGirr wouldn’t want an ambulance to come to her home just because she was wearing a monitoring bracelet.

She said the real reason was that he knew Biddle was dead and the police would be called.

McGirr claimed that he tidied up the house to feel “more comfortable.” He said he took Biddle’s clothes and bag to the overgrown section in front of his house, partially buried it, pushed it in the shape of a cross and said a prayer.

“I just felt like I needed to do something, I guess, to commemorate her. Actually, it was not a conscious thought.

“It was just a moment of peace in the native jungle with his things.”

White said McGirr’s claim was “completely ridiculous.” She argued that she tried to dispose of Biddle’s belongings because she knew the police would come and wanted to erase any signs that she had been there.

McGirr also threw several cannabis plants into the bushes, further evidence that he knew police would be arriving soon, White said.

Defense attorney Rupert Glover said Higginson’s version of what happened was a “reconstruction” rather than a memory.

He told the jury that McGirr’s “very genuine and very apparent distress” was obvious during his testimony, even two years after Biddle’s death.

Glover said that if McGirr had really tried to hide the evidence, he would have properly buried it, so it could not be easily found.

McGirr was “fully cooperative” with police, telling investigators what he had done to Biddle’s belongings in his distress and showing them where his partially buried clothing was, Glover said.

The trial will resume on Thursday.