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Allegations
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Louise Nicholas’
credibility was repeatedly attacked in the High Court at Auckland yesterday
in a day where defence counsel revealed her former flatmate said she saw her having
sex with police officers she has accused of raping her 20 years ago and she
certainly wasn’t saying no. Mrs Nicholas has always
claimed she was home alone when Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards, or
Brad Shipton, visited her Corlett St flat in Rotorua in 1985 and 1986, but
yesterday Rickards lawyer John Haigh QC questioned her about statements her
former flatmate made, describing the atmosphere at the house as friendly and
saying Mrs Nicholas never looked upset when the officers left. Rickards and now former
police officers Shipton and Bob Schollum face 20 charges between them,
including rape, indecent assault and sexual violation. Mr Haigh said her
former flatmate, who cannot be named, said she had come home one day and seen
Mrs Nicholas having sex with either Shipton or Schollum. To me, she certainly
wasn’t saying no, the woman said. Whenever the fellows
called, they were always welcomed into the house. There was always a friendly
atmosphere of laughing and joking, her flatmate said in a statement. She recalled one day
when Louise (Mrs Nicholas) had been in one room of the Corlett St flat with
Schollum or Rickards and she was in the lounge having sex with Shipton. It is possible Louise
and I then swapped partners but I have no specific memory of it, she said in
her statement. She also said Mrs
Nicholas never seemed upset when the men left, or unhappy they were there. Repeatedly, Mrs
Nicholas told Mr Haigh her flatmate’s recollection was different to hers. She
was home alone when Rickards and Shipton came around. Question: She records
that on one occasion she came into your bedroom and you were having sex with
one or other of Mr Shipton or Mr Schollum and she lurked around the bottom of
the bed. Answer: No it did not
happen. Mrs Nicholas alleges
the three men forced her to have group sex and she was indecently assaulted
with a police baton in January 1986. Schollum had picked her
up as she walked home from work, taking her to a police house in Rotorua’s
Rutland St, she has said. Mr Haigh asked why she
did not refuse the ride, refuse to go into the house or seek help afterwards,
and said Rickards’ defence was she simply fabricated the whole incident. I didn’t want to walk up
those stairs. I didn’t want to get out of that car. I knew what was going to
happen. I knew there was going to be group sex with these men again and I had
no control over that. That had been stripped from me ages ago, she said. Why didn’t you walk
home, Mr Haigh asked. And then what? They’re
going to come back again, as they had been. These guys are cops. I feared
them. I didn’t want what was going to happen to happen . . . Abuse was part of her
life since she was a 13-year-old growing up in Murupara, she said. The court heard she had
made allegations against four police officers working at the station during
that time. She said the
conditioning of her life was that if she made complaints nothing would
happen. Why didn’t you tell
your mother? Mr Haigh said, mentioning how her mother had dealt with her
earlier complaint of rape. I didn’t want to tell
anybody about the Rutland St incident. I thought that no-one would believe
me, she said. But even if you thought
noone would listen, you would have stopped it, Mr Haigh said. Mr Haigh suggested she
was deliberately trying to destroy Rickards, enjoying the media attention
since her case was highlighted two years ago. She said two and a-half
years ago she was approached by a reporter to tell her story, who showed her
documents, statements and job sheets which showed she had been duped
something shocking. Shipton’s defence
counsel Bill Nabney asked her about a party in 1986 where Schollum and
Shipton had given her a ride home claiming she had consensual sex with them
in the car. That definitely did not
happen, she said. Paul Mabey QC
questioned her about a school teacher who claimed Mrs Nicholas had told her
she had been raped by a group of Maoris on horseback. Mrs Nicholas said the
teacher’s recollection of the conversation was wrong. He questioned her about
a statement where she said she had gotten drunk and did have consensual sex
with Schollum at a house in Kusab St. He said Schollum bought
the house in Kusab St in February 1986 after the alleged Rutland St incident.
It’s in the statement.
I must have said it, but I don’t remember having sex in Kusab St, she said.
She has completed 19 statements for police. Mr Mabey questioned her about her
brother Peter’s wedding in February 2003 where Schollum was invited and was
filming guests. He asked her if she had danced with Schollum that day or
flirted with him. No, I definitely would not, thank you. Did she remember
lifting up her skirt and showing him her suspender belt, Mr Mabey asked. Is
it on the video? No I did not. Mrs Nicholas’ family, including her mother and
brother, are expected to start giving evidence today. |
