By PAUL YANDALL
Convicted rapist policeman Colin McLean looks set to be kicked off the force and have his $1000-a-week salary stopped in two weeks.
The end will come nearly 16 months after he was suspended on full pay and more than a month after he was convicted and jailed for raping and assaulting a woman in 1997.
During that time the Mangakino senior constable has continued to receive his $52,000-a-year salary.
Police Commissioner Rob Robinson moved again on Thursday to dismiss the officer.
McLean, aged 37, was again served with papers under section 32 of the Police Act, which allows officers to be dismissed.
Initial papers had been served on him on Monday.
McLean, who will be sentenced on Friday, has a week to reply to the papers before the commissioner can legally dismiss him.
Police spokesman Jon Neilson said McLean could expect to be paid for the next two weeks. His future after that would be determined during the fortnight.
Mr Neilson said he expected that McLean's application to leave under the Police Employment Rehabilitation Fund (Perf) scheme would also be resolved within that time.
If his application to leave under Perf - which allows officers to retire early on medical or psychological grounds and take their superannuation - was approved it would give McLean about $300,000 for 15 years' service, $200,000 paid by the taxpayer.
McLean's former wife, Jo McLean, said last night that her family of four children fathered by McLean would suffer if police stopped his salary and his Perf application.
It was believed that McLean would be on the payroll for as long as the case was before the courts, including during any appeal period, which could take months.
But that view changed this week after Police Minister George Hawkins met Mr Robinson with a view to dismissing McLean as quickly as legally possible.
But Jo McLean, who left her husband in 1996, said the wellbeing of her family depended on whether they would receive part of McLean's salary and Perf scheme payout.
"I don't believe there's been any consideration with regard to me and the children."
She said her husband's case had been used by politicians to score points against each other.
"I feel quite angry and let down by the fact that politicians have chosen to make Colin a scapegoat without any consideration to the ramifications of making that sort of issue so public."
Jailed constable set to lose job, pay in fortnight
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