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Home / police allegations / Rickards,
Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 2 - 2007 Trial of Rickards,
Shipton, Schollum Week 2 |
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Sharon Shipton (left), wife of
Brad Shipton, and her cousin Christine Filer. The wife of one of the accused in
the police sex trial called her cousin last week and told her to say she
didn't remember the details of a crucial holiday, a court heard this
afternoon. Christine Filer made a surprise
appearance in the High Court in Auckland to rebut the alibi that Mrs Shipton
- wife of former police officer Brad Shipton - previously gave to the court. Mrs Filer was brought from
Australia by the Crown as a witness after Mrs Shipton had said that they were
staying with her for a month in February 1984 - during the period it is
alleged Brad Shipton and two other men sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl. But in the High Court today Mrs
Filer said of the holiday: "I don't recall it at all." She said she would have remembered
it because it was a very busy house and a month was a long time. Mrs Filer was telephoned while in Perth
last Friday, after Mrs Shipton had given her evidence, the court heard. She
said Mrs Shipton told her the police might be calling and reminded her she
didn't have to say anything. Mrs Filer said Mrs Shipton said:
"Just to say that I didn't remember." She said Mrs Shipton had asked
when she might be going home to her home in Brisbane and Mrs Filer said she
didn't know. After hearing this, Mrs Shipton said "That's probably a
good thing. If you stayed in Perth that would be good," the jury was
told. Earlier today Mrs Shipton broke
down in the witness stand after learning her cousin would be contradicting
the alibi she had given. Mrs Shipton yesterday denied lying
to the court to cover for her husband Brad Shipton as part of a
"jack-up" by the defence. Today Mrs Shipton burst into tears
in the High Court at Auckland when learning that the cousin would say she had
rung and told her to lie about her memories of the holiday. She said: "As God strikes me
down I never said that, I wish I could look her in the eye." As she wept
uncontrollably her husband also wiped tears from his eyes. Crown prosecutor Brent Stanaway
interrupted Mrs Shipton, saying "I take it from that, you deny it". Mrs Shipton continued crying as Mr
Stanaway put it to her that the cousin would say Mrs Shipton had told her to
stay on holiday over the weekend to avoid police. Mrs Shipton said: "This is
like a mad movie, oh my God". Contradicted During cross-examination
yesterday, Mr Stanaway said the holiday was a week at the most, and produced
statements from Mrs Shipton's family that contradicted her reasons for the
break. He said Mrs Shipton's evidence for
her husband's defence was a "recent fabrication" made up only after
the alleged victim gave evidence last week. Mr Stanaway said Mrs Shipton rang
her cousin, with whom she said she stayed during the holiday in Wanganui,
"after a silence of years" only when the complainant had finished
giving evidence. He asked Mrs Shipton why she had
never contacted the cousin earlier and he said the call was actually to warn
her the police might be ringing. Mrs Shipton also said in her
evidence on Thursday that they were in Wanganui because her grandmother was
being moved into a rest home. Mr Stanaway handed her statements,
taken from family members over the weekend - including her father and uncle -
that he said showed the grandmother was actually moved a year or more before.
Mrs Shipton said she did not accept this. Mrs Shipton, 53, is a project
leader at the Ministry of Justice in Wellington and has been married to
Shipton, 49, since 1978. She was the only witness called in his defence.
Shipton has elected not to give evidence. As Mr Stanaway questioned Mrs
Shipton about inconsistencies in her evidence, she countered by saying the
alleged victim had given conflicting evidence as well. Mr Stanaway asked how she knew
this as the evidence was given in a closed court and Mrs Shipton said her
husband had told her. "He said to me, 'I cannot
believe how these lies are affecting our lives'. I've had that conversation almost
daily with him for two years. And he said that he loved me." Mr Stanaway: "And did you say
you loved him?" Mrs Shipton: "Yes." Mr Stanaway: "And that you
were prepared to lie for him?" Mrs Shipton: "I never ever
said to my husband that I would lie for him." Mr Stanaway said her discussions
with Shipton had impacted on her evidence. "This is a combined effort of
all three accused in assisting you with the evidence you are giving." Mrs Shipton: "Absolutely not,
Mr Stanaway." Mr Stanaway said a letter sent on
Mrs Shipton's behalf last week by Clint Rickards' lawyer, John Haigh, QC,
asking Wanganui Hospital for the grandmother's health records showed the
defence team was working as one. The court was then cleared and
when the jury returned a statement was read saying the letter was drafted by
private investigator Mark Templeman, who was working for the three accused,
but was sent without Mr Haigh?s knowledge. Once Mr Haigh found out he viewed
it as "entirely inappropriate". Mr Stanaway told Mrs Shipton her
evidence of the month away from Rotorua "is just a jack-up". "[This] jack-up has only been
implemented in the last few days." Mrs Shipton: "Mr Stanaway,
the statements you have put to me today are the jack-up." Mr Stanaway asked Mrs Shipton why
she had never gone to the police earlier about her husband being away for the
entire month of February. Mrs Shipton said she would never
help or assist the Operation Austin investigation into historic police sex
crimes in any way "because I?ve seen, read and heard what is the most
shameful, unethical, unprofessional conduct of that team". Mrs Shipton said she knew when she
gave her evidence the investigation team would have been "running around
all over the country and possibly the world trying to prove I'm a liar. I'm
not". Clint Rickards, 46, Brad Shipton,
49, and Bob Schollum, 54, deny charges of kidnapping a woman and indecently
assaulting her with a bottle in Rotorua sometime between November 1983 and
August 1984 when she was 16. |
