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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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The woman at the centre of a string
of rape allegations against former police officers began giving evidence in
the trial of a former police inspector accused of covering up her
allegations. In the High Court in Hamilton,
John Dewar, 55, pleaded not guilty to four charges of wilfully attempting to
obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice by suppressing or failing
to act on sexual assault allegations made by Louise Nicholas. Mr Dewar was head of the Rotorua
CIB when Ms Nicholas went to police in 1993 alleging she was raped by suspended
Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards and former officers Brad Shipton
and Bob Schollum, and, earlier, by another former officer who has permanent
name suppression. All were acquitted at subsequent
trials. Ms Nicholas told the High Court on
Tuesday that Mr Dewar ignored her complaint against Mr Rickards, Shipton and
Schollum and focused solely on the earlier allegation. Opening the trial, the Crown
alleged Mr Dewar suppressed allegations by Ms Nicholas and attempted to
pervert the course of justice during the trial of the former officer with
permanent name suppression by giving inadmissible evidence. The Crown told the court that Mr
Dewar covered up the allegations of sexual misconduct because he was a close
friend of one of the men. The Crown prosecutor told the jury
the accused had at one time been involved in a group sex session with Shipton
and a Bay of Plenty woman. The Crown says this was a powerful
motive for Mr Dewar to fail to act on Ms Nicholas' complaint against Shipton,
Schollum and Mr Rickards. |
