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Allegations of abuse
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Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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A district court judge has told a
high court trial of a former senior policeman that the former officer gave
inadmissable evidence causing two mistrials. The judge was giving evidence
today in the high profile trial of former Rotorua detective chief inspector
John Dewar. District Court Judge Leslie Atkins
previously acted as a defence lawyer in a trial in which Dewar gave evidence. The jury heard details of how
Dewar twice caused the trial of a former police officer accused of sexually
assaulting against Louise Nicholas to be aborted by giving inadmissable
evidence. Dewar, 55, is on trial at the High
Court at Hamilton on four counts of attempting to obstruct or defeat the
course of justice. The charges relate to Mrs Nicholas' complaints of sexual
offending by police officers in the 1980s. Judge Atkins, who acted as defence
lawyer for an officer accused of sexually assaulting Mrs Nicholas at
Murupara, told the court that Dewar gave evidence at the man's 1993 trial
claiming that an officer had told him he was prepared to lie on behalf of the
accused. The trial was subsequently aborted
but at the officer's second trial Dewar again gave inadmissable evidence by
telling the court about investigations into alleged offending against Mrs
Nicholas by then Rotorua officers Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob
Schollum, the jury heard today. Judge Atkins said at the time
Dewar did not appear concerned about the mistrials. "I had the impression that he
was untroubled by what had occurred." The officer was acquitted at his
third trial and given permanent name suppression. |
