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Allegations of abuse
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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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A jury has begun considering
whether a high-ranking police officer and his two co-accused are guilty of
sexual offending more than 20 years ago. Suspended assistant police
commissioner Clint Rickards, together with Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum, are
charged with kidnapping and indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl in
Rotorua between November 1983 and August 1984. At the High Court in Auckland on
Wednesday Justice Potter told jury members they must consider each charge and
each accused separately and must decide if the complainant's evidence is
truthful and reliable. In summarising the defence cases,
she referred to the evidence of Mr Shipton's wife who was portrayed as a liar
by the Crown. Justice Potter said if the jury rejects this evidence it must
still ensure the Crown has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt before
reaching any guilty verdict. All three men formally entered not
guilty pleas in the High Court in Auckland on Monday morning. Extensive
suppression orders apply to the charges. Last year, a jury cleared them of
20 charges of sexual violation and indecent assault against Rotorua woman
Louise Nicholas in 1986. The jury of seven women and five men delivered its
verdict on 31 March 31 2006 after three days of deliberations following a
2½-week trial at the High Court at Auckland |
