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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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The jury in the John Dewar trial
will now continue with just 11 members after the judge was handed a note this
morning saying a sick female juror would not attend the rest of the trial. Dewar, the former head of the
Rotorua CIB is on trial in the High Court at Hamilton on four counts of
attempting to obstruct or defeat the course of justice in relation to claims
by Louise Nicholas who says she was sexually assaulted in Rotorua by serving
police officers in the 1980s. During this morning's session,
Dewar's laywer, Paul Mabey, QC, accused Mrs Nicholas of being an
"attention-seeker". "You have been courting and
pursuing publicity," Mr Mabey said; to which Mrs Nicholas replied:
"No I do not like the media spotlight." Yesterday the court was told Dewar
knew an alleged sexual assault on Mrs Nicholas with a police baton was not
consensual, but told her "the past is the past". One of the charges relates to
allegations Dewar failed to take a statement from Mrs Nicholas about claims
she was raped by suspended Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards and
former police officers Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton at a Rotorua house in
the 1980s. Dewar is also alleged to have
twice given hearsay evidence at trials of another police officer accused of
indecently assaulting Mrs Nicholas in Murupara when she was about 14, both
times causing mistrials. The officer was acquitted at a
third trial and given permanent name suppression. The fourth charge relates to a
statement Dewar had Mrs Nicholas sign as part of an investigation into his
involvement in the two aborted trials. The jury heard yesterday how in
early 2004, after being approached by an investigative journalist, Mrs
Nicholas confronted Dewar in Hamilton outside a St John Ambulance building
where he worked. Mrs Nicholas was wearing a hidden
microphone and was secretly filmed while talking to Dewar. During the conversation Dewar
admitted he knew the alleged incident involving Mr Rickards, Shipton and
Schollum and a police baton was non-consensual. "I certainly know that the
part regarding the baton wasn't consensual," Dewar was heard saying on
the tape. "It would be hard to
understand why you would consent to that." However, Dewar said "the past
is the past" and urged Mrs Nicholas to be careful about her dealings
with the journalist. "I have my suspicions it may
just aggravate an old wound," he said. However Dewar's lawyer, Mr Mabey, said
Dewar never actively discouraged Mrs Nicholas from taking the matter further.
"He's not saying `don't do
it, keep quiet', is he?" Mr Mabey said Mrs Nicholas never
told Dewar of her allegations against Rickards, Schollum and Shipton, after
making her initial complaint to policeman Ray Sutton. "When you spoke to John Dewar
in his office after seeing Ray Sutton, you said nothing about Rickards,
Shipton and Schollum concerning rape or any form of abuse at all." Mrs Nicholas disagreed. "I recall telling Ray Sutton
about Shipton, Schollum and Rickards, as I did John Dewar." Mrs Nicholas said she eventually
gave up trying to tell Dewar about her allegations. "Over that period of time I
had pressed him and he would not take that statement. He wasn't going to take
the statement come hell or high water." Mrs Nicholas was due to continue
being cross-examined this afternoon. |
