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Allegations of abuse by
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Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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A retired police officer said
yesterday he recalled reference to a baton during an interview with Louise
Nicholas about an alleged sexual attack. But he said the notebook he used
during the interview disappeared shortly after discussing the allegations
with John Dewar, the former senior police officer who is accused of covering
up for former colleagues. On the third day of the trial of
former Rotorua CIB head Dewar, retired police Inspector Ray Sutton said he
was unable to find his book when asked to produce it five months later. Yesterday the jury in the High
Court at Hamilton was told the notebook detailed Mrs Nicholas' accusations of
rape against Clint Rickards, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton. Dewar, 55, has denied four counts
of attempting to obstruct or defeat the course of justice between 1993 and
1995 in relation to Mrs Nicholas' allegations of sex offences against her by
the three police officers in the 1980s. The Crown claims Dewar refused to
take a statement from Mrs Nicholas detailing her allegations against Mr
Rickards, Shipton and Schollum, gave inadmissable evidence during two rape
trials of another former police officer accused by Mrs Nicholas, and
convinced Mrs Nicholas to sign a statement designed to exonerate him from blame
in the investigation following the two aborted trials. After the two mistrials the former
police officer was acquitted in a third trial and given permanent name
suppression. Mr Sutton told the court that in
January, 1993, Mrs Nicholas' father asked him to meet his daughter to hear
allegations of sexual abuse by police. "Louise related a series of
events that she said had occurred at Murupara and Rotorua involving police
officers and ex-police officers," Mr Sutton said. "The thing that I do recall is
her reference to a police baton being used during one of those
incidents." Mr Sutton said he wrote down the
names of the men Mrs Nicholas said had raped her -- Rickards, Shipton and
Schollum. However, when he was asked to produce his notebook five months
later, he could not. The last time he could remember
seeing the notebook was when he was briefing Dewar on the allegations in a
police office. Mr Sutton said Dewar's request to take over the investigation
into Mrs Nicholas' allegations was appropriate, as he was head of CIB. Mrs Nicholas' mother Barbara
Crawford recounted her daughter telling Mr Sutton of the alleged abuse by Mr
Rickards, Schollum and Shipton. "I just remember it was
sexual abuse, but when the name Schollum came up, I went into shock; I didn't
really hear much of the rest of it," she said. Earlier Mrs Nicholas fended off
accusations from Dewar's lawyer, Paul Mabey QC, that she was an
attention-seeker. "You've been courting and
pursuing publicity at every opportunity," he said. Mrs Nicholas said she did not
enjoy the media spotlight. The trial continues. |
