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The owner of a tape alleged to
contain a disclosure by a jury member at the Peter Ellis trial, that he was
sexually aroused by the evidence, should be forced to hand over her evidence,
Ellis supporters said yesterday. The tape reportedly also contains
an admission that the man had professional links with the expert psychiatrist
called by the prosecution at the child abuse trial. Justice Minister Tony Ryall confirmed yesterday that he had received the report
into the case by former High Court judge Sir Thomas Thorp. But Mr Ryall would not reveal its
contents, saying he would consider its findings during the next fortnight,
and hoped to make recommendations to Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys by mid-May. Sir Thomas, a former Parole Board
head, was appointed to examine the case after Ellis's lawyer, Judith Ablett
Kerr QC, petitioned the governor-general. Ellis, convicted in 1993 on 16 charges
of molesting children at the Christchurch Civic Creche,
had an appeal dismissed in 1994, but has been granted a rare second appeal,
scheduled to be heard at the end of May. The latest disclosures said to
have been made to writer Lynley Hood received an angry reaction from Ellis
supporters including a former police commander, Mauri
Pacific MP Rana Waitai. Mr Waitai
said he was disgusted with the number of people who had allowed Ellis to
suffer, for their own selfish ends. He said the reported holder of the
tape, Lynley Hood, should be forced to give it up. "(Some) jurors, including the
foreman, were not objective when they voted that Peter Ellis was guilty of
child abuse, a senior policeman involved in the case had questionable
interests in witnesses, and now we have a writer who is prepared to hold on
to critical evidence, rather than helping an innocent man gain his
freedom," Mr Waitai
said. It is understood Ms Hood, who will
not confirm the existence of the tape, may have made an undertaking to the
jury member. She has declined to comment. Counsel for Ellis, Judith Ablett
Kerr, QC, has confirmed the accuracy of the correspondence leaked to The
Dominion, but advised that neither she nor members of her staff were
responsible for the leaking. "You will be aware that it
has always been the policy of these chambers not to discuss or reveal the
contents of any petition . . . till such time as the governor-general has
returned his decision," she said. Ellis's mother, Lesley Ellis, said
she was not optimistic the new revelations would help free her son.
"I've stopped being optimistic. At the (next Court of Appeal hearing)
they're going to look at the same old things. The biggest problem has been
getting them widen the scope of the hearing . . . there's nothing going to
change." Commenting on the completion of
Sir Thomas's report, Labour justice spokesman Phil
Goff said he hoped it would deal thoroughly with issues surrounding Ellis's
conviction that had caused "serious disquiet". |
