Not guilty (Police sex case verdict, 1 March)

[Hitcher]

I wonder how many "crimes" there are left in NZ. You do not seem to serve any jailtime for rape/murder/burglary/etc.

Nor should you if you haven't been convicted of an offence.

[Finn]

I never thought they were guilty and as men, you should all be relieved at this verdict. A woman scorned in this country is a dangerous thing, especially with so many ugly, man hating bitches in Government.

[jrandom]

Ah, well. All's well that ends well.

Hopefully this will dissuade any more rancid old tarts from having a go at respectable middle-aged gentlemen.

I wonder if Rickards enjoyed his holiday?

[jrandom]

... as men, you should all be relieved at this verdict.

I find myself agreeing with Finn. Of course, there wasn't much chance of any other outcome, but it's always good to see that there's a modicum of sanity left in the world.

[Edit: So... any 16-year-olds here who fancy a quick trip round the back of a lake?

No, not you, Indy.]

[Hitcher]

I wonder if Rickards enjoyed his holiday?

Now that is the $64,000 question. Will the Commissioner now reinstate Asst Comm Rickard to full duties?

[judecatmad]

I personally think it was a complete witch hunt and should never have gone to trial. The comment made by the second complainant that she 'wanted to get the guilty verdict that Louise Nicholls didn't get' really switched me off to the whole debacle.

If the crimes committed were so devastating and as awful as they have been reported to be, why were they not reported at the time?

And as has been pointed out, there must be no doubt in order for a guilty verdict to be arrived at. And for the community to stand and judge after a not guilty has been given....well, the witch hunt continues.

Maybe I place too much faith in the Police and the justice system, being a Policeman's daughter, but there we go.

Too many men have had their lives shattered by women who decide that what they quite willingly did is now not what they should have been doing at all, and cry rape. It's not on. Rape is forced and unconsensual - not when you've changed your mind after the event. Whether that's what happened here or not, I don't know. I wasn't there. Neither were the accused by the sounds of it.....

[Guitana]

Now that is the $64,000 question. Will the Commissioner now reinstate Asst Comm Rickard to full duties?

Three words Golden Hand Shake!!!!!!!!

[ManDownUnder]

Three words Golden Hand Shake!!!!!!!!

Hopefully just before an election - that'd go down like a cup of cold sick...

[Finn]

Three words Golden Hand Shake!!!!!!!!

For everybody's sake, I sure hope Dover doesn't read your post.

[Lias]

When I said they were guilty as, apparently I was fucking pyschic! Turns out that the louise nichols case and this one werent the first.. They were already serving time for yet another rape.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10426475

Police sex trial: What the jury never knew

Two of the men today acquitted in today's police sex case are serving prison terms for the rape of a woman at Mt Maunganui 18 years ago.

Former policemen Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum had their names suppressed during their July 2005 trials for the January 1989 abduction and rape of the 20-year-old woman.

Their convictions for the attack could not earlier be reported in case the information jeopardised the pair's right to a fair trial in the case that concluded today.

The suppression orders were lifted just minutes after they, with Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards, were found not guilty today of kidnap and indecent assault charges. Mr Rickards was not involved in the 1989 case.

The victim said four men lured her into a hut on the pretext of having a lunch date with one of the men. Once there she was bound, raped, forced to perform oral sex and brutally violated.

The men maintained it was consensual sex.

They were jailed for terms of between five-and-a-half and eight-and-a-half years.

Shipton and Schollum were also convicted of unlawful sexual connection and one was found guilty of a second rape. Both were acquitted of sexual violation with an object.

Businessman Peter Mana McNamara and fireman Warren Hales were also convicted of the rape but in April last year the Court of Appeal overturned Hales' conviction and ordered a retrial.

In November, Hales pleaded guilty to the woman's abduction and was sentenced to 18 months' prison and ordered to pay $10,000 in emotional harm reparation.

[Ixion]

I thought that was general knowledge? It was certainly well publicised on the net at the time of the trial

[Steam]

Yes, that story from Lias is what the women were handing out at the Wellington train station, and in Christchurch.

[Steam]

Oh, I did't realise they are already in jail! Good.
"Shipton and Schollum will continue to serve prison terms of 8-½ and eight years respectively for rape, abduction and sexual violation."

[Guitana]

For everybody's sake, I sure hope Dover doesn't read your post.

Yeah I can only imagine what golden hand shake means in Dover speak!!!

[Lias]

Mmm it wasnt general knowledge but it was leaked somehow.

I do remember the flyer (I had a scanned copy of it somewhere), but I'm pretty sure it didnt spell out that they were already in jail, guilty and sentenced. I just thought they were remanded in custody facing "other sex charges", so until this story came out I just assumed this current case was the "other sex charges".