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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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LATEST NEWS:A judge has been
giving evidence today in the high profile trial of former policeman 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
former Rotorua CIB officer John Dewar twice caused the trial of a former
police officer accused of sexually assaulting 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 Louise Nicholas' complaints of
sexual offending by police officers in the 1980s. This morning Leslie Atkins, who
acted as defence lawyer for an officer accused of sexually assaulting Mrs
Nicholas at Murapara 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 Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum. 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. |
