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peterellis Home / abuse allegations / Peter Stewart Peter Stewart - News
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Sunday Star Times By Sean Scanlon Supporters of Canterbury
rich-lister and convicted rapist Peter Stewart are a
"rent-a-crowd", his victim's family says. Stewart, 62, was named last week
as the prominent Canterbury businessman convicted by a High Court jury of
sexually abusing a girl more than 30 years ago. A close family member, who cannot
be named for legal reasons, is unhappy at media reports quoting un-named
Stewart supporters. "Tell them to get out of the
gutter stuff. If they are going to say things they need to put their names to
it," he said. "It's a rent-a-crowd. We will
simply hold our dignity and make comment in due course." Stewart, the son of PDL plastics
magnate Sir Robertson Stewart, who died in August, is married to New Zealand
Fashion Week owner Pieter Stewart. The Stewart family is now headed
by Adrienne, Lady Stewart. Peter's brothers, Mark and Robert
Stewart, head investment company Masthead and Skope Industries respectively. Mark Stewart said: "This has
been known for sometime around our immediate family and supporters. We've had
lots of calls and letters [of support]. Because this is still before the
courts, anything we say could not help the case at this stage." Peter Stewart faces jail at
sentencing in February for sodomy, rape and indecent assault, which his
victim said occurred between 1967 and 1978, starting when she was eight and
continuing until her late teens. She is now 48. He admitted a sexual encounter
with the woman when she was 17, but has steadfastly denied the charges. It is understood Stewart will
appeal his conviction and sentence after his appearance in February. Barbara Stewart, Peter's sister-in-law,
said: "We don't want to in any way worsen anything for Peter." The Sunday Star-Times spoke to
people connected to the Stewart family but they declined to be named. They
said the family would support Peter without question. A Canterbury businessman said the
court case would not stop people from working with the family. "I think
there is a lot of sympathy for what is happening to them. Everyone knows they
are bloody good business operators." Air New Zealand's public backing
of Fashion Week after Stewart's suppression was lifted showed the attitude
people had. "The family does a lot of good in the community." Peter and Pieter Stewart have used
Hororata's Heatherlea Deer Park as their base for more than 35 years and
operate a luxury boat charter business. The property was put on the market
last year but real estate firm PGG Wrightson declined to comment on whether
any offers were made. |
