Jorgie painting of Arthur Allan Thomas emerges

A Picton couple's purchase on TradeMe last month of a painting by notorious murderer Ronald Jorgensen has brought to light a portrait he did of Arthur Allan Thomas when they were in Paremoremo Prison in the 1970s.

Jorgensen is infamous for the Bassett Rd machine gun murders in Remuera, Auckland, where he and John Gillies shot dead two rival sly groggers in December 1963.

Arrested, convicted and sentenced to life, Jorgensen took up painting in prison running a good business selling his work to fellow inmates.

He was later freed on parole to live in Kaikoura until 1984 when his car was found at the bottom of a sea cliff but there was no trace of the man.

Police believed the crash was staged and Jorgensen fled.

Mystery still surrounds his whereabouts but unconfirmed sightings have had him in Perth and Kumeu, west Auckland.

Arthur Thomas was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Harvey and Jeanette Crewe who were shot in the lounge of their home in Pukekawa, south of Auckland on June 17, 1970.

However, he was freed after being granted a Royal Pardon in 1980 and awarded $1 million compensation for nine years behind bars.

When owners of a Picton B&B, Robyn and Allan Healey bought a Jorgensen still life for $5000 on the auction site a photograph of the work in The Marlborough Express prompted a call from Marlborough Sounds' resident Malcolm Barrer.

He said he bought the pencil and crayon portrait of Arthur Thomas while he was living in Christchurch 30 years ago.

While at a solicitors he noticed a work of art standing with its face to the wall and "Arthur Allan Thomas" written on the back.

Curiosity got the better of him so he spun it around for a look.

The solicitor said he'd bought it at an exhibition for $250 but his wife found it depressing and told him to put it in the garage.

He took it to work instead and was prepared to sell it to Mr Barrer for what he'd paid for it.

"It's a haunting painting. You could never hang it; it would give you the spooks," Mr Barrer said.

Although his son Michael said the painting would be worth a fortune one day; Mr Barrer gifted it to Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.

"I decided it was a national treasure and appropriate the people should have it. My son has since forgiven me!" Mr Barrer said.

A Jorgensen self portrait sold at an auction of New Zealand and European art in Auckland in March 2005 for $9170, more than nine times the owner's reserve.

Given the interesting social history of this latest find it's likely the portrait has increased in value and will continue to do so.

- The Marlborough Express