NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

Fertility drug blamed as judge clears lawyer

Anne Gibson
By Anne Gibson
Property Editor·NZ Herald·
11 Dec, 2012 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Anita Killeen was on a double-dose of the fertility medication clomiphene citrate. Photo / NZPA

Anita Killeen was on a double-dose of the fertility medication clomiphene citrate. Photo / NZPA

Ex-SFO prosecutor discharged without conviction over forgery charges.

A former prosecutor and barrister who pleaded guilty to forgery charges has been discharged without conviction after a court heard of a fertility drug's disastrous side-effects.

Anita Maria Killeen, 35, ex-chief prosecutor at the Serious Fraud Office, appeared before Judge Mary Beth Sharp in the Auckland District Court yesterday, admitting one charge of forgery and one of using a forged document, carrying maximum jail terms of three and 10 years.

But after her counsel Paul Davison QC's submissions, the judge said Killeen was in the 1 per cent of women who suffered traumatic psychological effects after taking a double-dose of fertility drug clomiphene citrate.

Side-effects of the double-dose taken last November included severe insomnia, fatigue, nausea, moodiness, irrationality, forgetfulness and obsession with issues, the judge said, describing how when Killeen was on that drug an email was sent to the Herald and the National Business Review which appeared to come from the now former chief executive of the SFO, Adam Feeley.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After NBR brought the email to Mr Feeley's attention, investigations by PwC revealed no such email was sent by Mr Feeley or came from the SFO.

"While there was not actual evidence to prove Ms Killeen forwarded the forged composite email, by the process of deduction it certainly appears it was sent by her to the press," the judge said.

Of the decision to discharge, Mr Feeley said: "We have a legal system but not a justice system. I've just had a description of how proceedings unfolded and her not having to sit in the dock. These are not pleasantries normally afforded to people who commit crime.

"I'm not impressed with the outcome but quite frankly, I've long since moved on."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The judge cited evidence from Professor Ian Holdaway, senior consultant endocrinologist at Auckland Hospital, who said Killeen's psychological changes were a result of taking a double dose of the fertility drug.

Clinical psychologist Dr Julian Reeves also submitted that Killeen's bizarre behaviour was consistent with the medication.

The judge described how Killeen's culpability was at the lowest end of the scale and outlined how in 2010 the SFO was undergoing an organisational restructuring, initiated and implemented by Mr Feeley.

That abolished Killeen's role as chief prosecutor so she began personal grievance proceedings.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Search of ex-SFO lawyer's computers fails to find fake email

04 Jun 05:30 PM
Business

Ex-SFO prosecutor pleads guilty

10 Dec 11:32 PM
Cartoons

Cartoon: Prosecutor acquitted

12 Dec 04:29 PM
New Zealand|crime

Complaint over lawyer's treatment

12 Dec 04:30 PM

By last June, Killeen was appointed to the legal aid tribunal and to City Chambers as a barrister, and on the basis of specialist medical advice, she began taking a 50mg daily dose of the fertility drug clomiphene citrate. A practice nurse advised her to double to 100mg a day in November.

"It was during this period of time that a false email was created," the judge said.

"The implications were that the restructuring review had been predetermined and that was unfair and prejudicial to staff made redundant," the judge said.

"The offending had the capacity to completely undermine and diminish his [Mr Feeley's] standing in the community, staff of the Serious Fraud Office and Government," the judge said.

So he began an investigation to ascertain how the emails had come to the media's attention.

"Ms Killeen had no recall of the events in question. She experienced severe psychological reactions which led to a lack of awareness of what she was doing which led to impulsivity and a subsequent lack of recall," the judge said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Her abnormal behaviour was noted by her husband who noted obsessions with the SFO events - which they had put behind them - and loss of train of thought. "

Testimonials were presented about her.

"I have never seen a bundle of testimonials like these," the judge said. "This is an exceptional case and Ms Killeen is an exceptional person."

Fiona Cleary for the prosecution did not oppose the discharge without conviction or the judge's decision that Killeen make no compensation.

A Law Society spokesman said when a lawyer was charged in court it was likely a standards committee would investigate whether acceptable conduct had been breached. The case could be referred to a Ministry of Justice disciplinary tribunal.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
PropertyUpdated

‘Rather irrational’: Multi-millionaire questions Healthy Homes rules

18 Jun 11:00 PM
Business|economy

Big four power firms near deal to secure Huntly's back-up role

18 Jun 10:57 PM
GDP

Stronger-than-expected GDP signals no rate cut in July

18 Jun 10:47 PM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
‘Rather irrational’: Multi-millionaire questions Healthy Homes rules

‘Rather irrational’: Multi-millionaire questions Healthy Homes rules

18 Jun 11:00 PM

Peter Lewis is upgrading his 12 rentals but has questioned why others are exempt.

Big four power firms near deal to secure Huntly's back-up role

Big four power firms near deal to secure Huntly's back-up role

18 Jun 10:57 PM
Stronger-than-expected GDP signals no rate cut in July

Stronger-than-expected GDP signals no rate cut in July

18 Jun 10:47 PM
'Mismanaged': Expert calls for faster reform in NZ economy

'Mismanaged': Expert calls for faster reform in NZ economy

18 Jun 09:13 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP