|
|
Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
|
|
|
|
The holes in the evidence
of Louise Nicholas are too wide and it would be impossible to convict
Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards of raping and indecently
assaulting her, a jury was told today. John Haigh, QC, defence
lawyer for Rickards, said Mrs Nicholas was an attention-seeker who wanted
someone to blame for a past she was ashamed of. Rickards and two former
policemen, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum, face 20 historic charges of rape,
indecent assault and sexual violation brought against them by Mrs Nicholas. All three denied the
charges but have previously said they had consensual sex with her in Rotorua
in the mid-1980s. Mr Haigh asked the jury
in the High Court at Auckland not to reject a critical piece of evidence that
he said proved Mrs Nicholas was lying. She alleged Rickards
and Shipton visited her flat uninvited for sex between six and 12 times from
September 1985 to December 1986. She said in her
evidence at the beginning of the three-week trial the two accused came to her
Corlett Street flat during the day when her two flatmates were not home. Mr Haigh referred to
contradictory evidence given by Mrs Nicholas's flatmate who said it was
Shipton and Schollum who came around for sex and Mrs Nicholas "certainly
wasn't saying no". Mrs Nicholas said during
cross-examination that her flatmate's recollection was mistaken. Mr Haigh said if there
was ever a case which needed the highest standard of proof beyond reasonable
doubt, this was it. Lawyers for the other two
men were also expected to give their closing submissions today before the
jury of seven women and five men. Justice Tony Randerson
was expected to sum up tomorrow before sending the jury out to consider its
verdicts. |
