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Allegations of abuse
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Home / police allegations / Rickards,
Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 1 - 2007 Trial of
Rickards, Shipton, Schollum Week 1 |
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Clint Rickards gave evidence in
court this morning. Photo / Getty Images Suspended assistant police
commissioner Clint Rickards has told the High Court in Auckland that he does
not know the woman accusing him and two former police officers of sexual
violation. Rickards took the witness stand
today to refute allegations he was involved in the kidnapping and sexual
assault of a woman who was 16 at the time of the alleged attack in Rotorua in
the 1980s. His lawyer John Haigh asked him if
the allegations against him were true. Rickards replied: "They are
not." Mr Haigh asked if he had ever
known the woman. Rickards said: "No, I have
not." Rickards described how from 1982
to 1984 he was a uniformed police officer, contradicting the woman's evidence
that she had only ever seen him in plain clothes. He said of his career at that
time: "The New Zealand Police was my life. That was my career. So I
wanted to do the best I could." He also gave evidence of how he
had a major knee operation in October 1982 that left him either in a cast or
incapacitated through into the early months of 1984. The woman has said she did not see
him with a cast or limping. Mr Haigh said eminent New Zealand
knee surgeon Barry Tietjens would be called to give evidence about Rickards'
recovery as would a friend of Rickards. Rickards, who is the first of
three defence witnesses to be called by Mr Haigh, began by telling the jury
he is the assistant commissioner of police responsible for over 2500 police
staff. He then acknowledged he was suspended. Rickards, Bob Schollum and Brad
Shipton deny all the charges against them. The trial continues. |
