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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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Video secretly filming by ONE News has been used as evidence at
the High Court trial of former top police officer John Dewar in Hamilton. Dewar is accused of attempting to
pervert the course of justice by covering up sexual assault claims Louise
Nicholas made against his police colleagues. The secret recording was made in
2004 for ONE News, with Nicholas
wearing a hidden microphone. In the video, the key witness,
Nicholas, left her Hamilton hotel to head back to court for a second day. A
few blocks down the road Dewar was waiting. Both watched on Wednesday as a
tape of their meeting was played to the jury. Nicholas says in the secret
recording she tried to get Dewar to acknowledge she had told him of rape and
sexual assault allegations against police officers Clint Rickards, Bob
Schollum and Brad Shipton. "At the end of the day, it
was not consensual. This what has hacked me off... you knew that and this is
just what really bugs me," Nicholas can be heard saying on the tape. "I certainly knew that the
part regarding the baton wasn't consensual. I mean, it would be hard to
understand why you would consent to that" Dewar responds. Nicholas also wanted to know from
Dewar why he would not take a statement about the allegations. "There's no point putting
someone through a trial that you know you are not going to succeed in,"
Dewar replied. The Crown case is based on
allegations Dewar tried to derail justice to protect his police friends. But his lawyer says Nicholas never
told Dewar a thing about the allegations. He told the court how Dewar had
only heard through someone else of a consensual sexual relationship between
Nicholas and two of the officers. Dewar is adamant that he is not
guilty. |
