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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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Former police chief John Dewar
once acted as a sex "gift" and was delivered to a Rotorua address
in that role by either Brad Shipton or Clint Rickards, the High Court at
Hamilton heard yesterday. Dewar is accused of deliberately
covering up, or failing to act, on rape allegations made by Louise Nicholas
between January 1993 and 1995. The former Rotorua CIB head also
faces charges of twice giving inadmissible, hearsay evidence at two sexual
abuse trials of an unnamed Murupara policeman, conducted in 1993 and 1994. The "Murupara trials"
related to an offence against Mrs Nicholas in the early 1980s when she was a
13-year-old girl. It was during those trials that
allegations against Shipton, Schollum and Rickards first came to light. Dewar also faces charges of
manipulating Mrs Nicholas during an inquiry into his conduct and evidence
given during the Murupara trials. The court yesterday heard evidence
from a former colleague of Dewar's, Inspector Alastair Williams. Mr Williams relayed a conversation
he had with Dewar, about one of the "strangest" things the former
Rotorua CIB head had said he had done. Mr Williams said Dewar had
discussed the historical event while they were stationed at the Police
Northern Communications Centre in Auckland. He said Dewar had given an account
of how he went to an address with another officer. Asked yesterday if he
could remember Dewar saying who that officer was, Mr Williams said he was
unsure whether it was Brad Shipton or Clint Rickards, but it was definitely
one of the two men. Dewar had said he was told by the
other man to "stand in the shadows" while a knock at the door was
made and a short conversation with the home's occupant took place. "Mr Dewar told me that sex
[between Dewar and the occupant] took place," Mr Williams said. Under cross examination Mr
Williams admitted he would have remembered if he was told that group sex had
occurred. However, there had been no mention of that. On Thursday a Rotorua woman, who
has name suppression, told the court she had group sex with Dewar and Brad
Shipton. Earlier yesterday the court heard
that Dewar had smiled and given Brad Shipton the "thumbs up" from
the public gallery during the 2006 Louise Nicholas rape trial of Shipton,
Schollum and Rickards. This came despite previous
evidence of Dewar saying he believed Louise Nicholas' version of events. He
has further publicly claimed he has not had a friendship with the policemen
accused of rape. The head of the operation that has
pressed charges against Dewar, Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen McGregor,
told the jury yesterday of observations he had made of Dewar during two rape
trials brought against Shipton, Rickards and Schollum. At the Louise Nicholas trial in
March 2006 Dewar was regularly seen sitting with friends and associates of
the accused men. "Standing with, talking, laughing, all sorts of
things," Mr McGregor said. The three men were acquitted of
the charges in the Nicholas case. About a year later, at a rape and
kidnap trial of the same three policemen, Dewar was again seen among the
accused's support group. During that trial, which centred
on claims of a 16-year-old girl, Mr McGregor said he watched Dewar shake
hands with and greet Rickards. The prosecution's case ended
yesterday and the defence case will begin on Monday. |
