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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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The trial of former Rotorua
detective John Dewar is moving into its closing stages. Dewar is charged with attempting
to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, for allegedly failing to
investigate rape complaints against fellow officers made by Louise Nicholas. Both sides will present closing
arguments at the High Court in Hamilton on Tuesday. When Dewar took the stand on
Monday he said Nicholas was not telling the truth. He took his oath to tell the truth
with the same vigour he denies covering up sex allegations against his police
mates Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum. "I categorically refute that
allegation. I have always carried out my duties according to my oath without
fear or favour," Dewar told the court. The former detective inspector
also says the trio were not his close friends and that Nicholas never pushed
a complaint. "They weren't known to me. But
even if they were it wouldn't have made any difference to the decision that I
would have made. If a complaint had been made to me I would have acted on it,
I would have investigated," he said. And Dewar said if there was
sufficient evidence to justify it, he would have charged them too. He
told the court of other good friends he had investigated and charged in his
police career, even his own uncle. Evidence at the trial has been
given by a woman who says Dewar had been involved in group sex sessions as well. "I will never forget Friday
the 13th of February in 2004," Dewar said. "I returned home
to see the six o'clock news on Television One, and there was this pixelated
face of a woman with a distorted voice saying that I had had sex with her and
Shipton. I had no idea of the identity of the woman but I did know that I'd
never had group sex with Shipton and any woman." Nicholas has always maintained she
did tell Dewar about the sex allegations against Rickards, Shipton and
Schollum the first time they met in 1993. But Dewar says the first he heard
about them was during the trial of another policeman facing similar
allegations. "It's an issue of judgement.
The fact that I didn't follow internal procedures doesn't make me a bad cop,
doesn't make me a criminal. I'm the guy at the end of the shovel," Dewar
said. The Crown's case hinges on his
apparent unwillingness to investigate the claims, or even take a statement
about them. The judge will sum up on Wednesday
before the jury retires to consider its verdict |
