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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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It was just after
afternoon tea time, two days and two hours since the seven women and five men
on the jury were asked to begin their deliberations. Justice, yelled one
woman among the throng in courtroom 12 in the High Court at Auckland. At last,
a man added. Love you, Brad, Sharon Shipton called to her husband in the dock
5m away, where stood Bob Schollum like Mr Shipton a former policeman and one
of the highest-ranking officers in the land, Assistant Commissioner Clint
Rickards. Mrs Nicholas,
accompanied by her husband, Ross, seated towards the rear of the court, left
quietly as the final verdict was read. Visibly upset, she
walked from the historic stone and brick courthouse in Parliament St, Central
Auckland, soon after, her husband at her side. Detective
Superintendent Nick Perry, head of the police team set up to investigate her
allegations, said Mrs Nicholas was obviously disappointed but had no comment.
Extensive suppression
orders remain in place. It was a day for the
accused and their supporters to have their say, the end of a chapter of a
story that began 20 years ago. Mr Shipton’s family
expressed disgust that so much taxpayers’ money had been spent on the inquiry
and alleged that politics had played a part. For the two and a-half
weeks leading up to yesterday’s decision, courtroom 12 had been taken back to
a time of beat-up Vauxhall Vivas, old Triumphs, of drinking in Rotorua’s Cobb
and Co, when police officers finishing a night shift at 5am on a Sunday went
for drinking sessions known as Sunday Schools. Out of those times had
come allegations of rape and indecent assault. Between them, Messrs Rickards,
Shipton and Schollum had faced 20 charges, including allegations that they
had violated Mrs Nicholas with a police baton. After hearing from 25
witnesses and addresses from prosecution and defence counsel, the jury had
retired at 1pm on Wednesday and was now back with its verdicts. Lawyers, journalists,
friends, family, police officers, former police officers, law students and about
60 members of the public gathered to hear the outcome. In the front row sat
Caron Schollum, expressionless, gripping a friend’s hand. Beside her Sharon
Shipton closed tired eyes and mouthed words to herself. Mr Rickard’s partner,
Tania Eden, smiled, a Maori carving around her neck as it had been for the
past 13 days, and said Be strong as she held tight to a friend’s hand. Their partners walked
into the dock. Behind them, Mrs Nicholas, the woman who brought them all
here, sat steely faced, flanked by her husband and detectives. Before the jury entered
the room, Justice Tony Randerson called for the public to show consideration,
that whatever the outcome, the verdicts be received in complete silence and
that you save your reactions for outside the courtroom. |
