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

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • 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
  • 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
    • 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
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • 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 / New Zealand

David Dougherty, who was wrongly convicted of rape and abduction, dies of cancer at age 50

By Anna Leask & Sam Hurley
NZ Herald·
28 Apr, 2017 05:54 AM5 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

Dougherty succumbed to pancreatic cancer in the early hours of last Thursday morning. Photo / File

Dougherty succumbed to pancreatic cancer in the early hours of last Thursday morning. Photo / File

David Dougherty, the man wrongly convicted of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old girl, has died. He was 50 years old.

Dougherty succumbed to pancreatic cancer in the early hours of last Thursday morning at his Palmerston North home.

He was acquitted of the 1993 rape charges after a retrial in 1997 with new DNA evidence.

In 2001, he received an apology from the Government and was awarded $868,728.80 in compensation.

Yesterday, Dougherty was cremated at Waikumete Cemetery in West Auckland after spending the final weeks of his life saying his goodbyes "in his own way" to family and friends.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He was incarcerated for so long for something he didn't do, and when he came home to West Auckland, he was free - In a wider sense - So we wanted to send him free at home," his niece, Jamie TauHarris, told the Herald tonight.

Dougherty, whom she described as being "like a father to me", will have his ashes taken to the Far North to join his mother's remains.

She said Dougherty had suffered from cancer "the last two, maybe three years" of his life.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The doctors told him to look after himself but I guess after a lot of wear and tear ... He was in a lot of pain. He actually came up here to stay a lot. He was in intense pain, sleeping was just a nightmare for him, he said."

She said Dougherty had just celebrated his 50th birthday.

"He was up here [in Auckland] and was having a great time.

"My mum was talking to him every couple of days and he was starting to feel quite rotten.

Discover more

New Zealand

David Dougherty - Locked up in a nightmare

12 Jul 10:08 AM

"She got a phone call the morning that he passed to say that he had not woken - he'd died in the early hours of the morning.

"He was such a large-hearted man, I couldn't express his endless love. I'm just so glad he's at peace now."

'Murray, I'm innocent'

Murray Gibson, Dougherty's lawyer and the man who fought for him during his legal battle, told the Herald he had recently received a "poignant" phone call from his old client.

"He finished the call by saying he loved me, twice ... It's something a lawyer doesn't always get to hear from their past clients."

Dougherty hugs his partner Jo-Ann Atutolu after being acquitted of rape in 1997. Photo / File
Dougherty hugs his partner Jo-Ann Atutolu after being acquitted of rape in 1997. Photo / File

Gibson said he had been very fortunate in the way he met Dougherty.

"A scientist that I've previously worked with, Arie Geursen, read a report for David's Court of Appeal hearing, where the court dismissed his appeal, but had made comments that alerted Arie to the fact that something was very wrong.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I'll never forget that [Dougherty] said to me, he said 'Murray, I'm innocent'. With the assistance of Arie and [journalist] Donna Chisholm we were able to establish that, indeed, he was."

Gibson said Dougherty was "one of the only people I know who has been proven innocent by someone else being proven guilty".

However, he said Dougherty's incarceration for three years had had a negative affect on his client.

"He was working and had a happy relationship with his long-standing partner and children when he was wrongly arrested for that offence.

"I suspect the effects of being in jail for approximately three years, when every day he had to suffer with the knowledge that he was innocent - It took its toll."

Dougherty had several issues with the law after his release, often for alcohol-related offences.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He appeared in the Palmerston North District Court this year for assaulting a police officer last November.

Gibson said he had had a special bond with Dougherty, as did Chisholm, whose stories and continued coverage of the case led to his release and pardon.

RIP David Dougherty. This was a good day. Little did we know then that your battle was only beginning. pic.twitter.com/lbsyaREJEw

— Donna Chisholm (@Donna_Chisholm) April 28, 2017

Chisholm, an award-winning journalist, who campaigned for Dougherty's retrial, was shocked and saddened by the news of his death.

"I'm feeling awful that I couldn't do more for him," she told the Herald tonight.

"He was a kind, intelligent and articulate man whom I liked and cared for.

"We could get him out of jail but we couldn't release him from his pain - and that's unbearably sad."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Chisholm had spoken to Dougherty sporadically in the years following his release from prison.

A tele-movie called Until Proven Innocent was made about the Dougherty case, in which Chisholm was a main character.

In 2003, Nicholas Reekie was jailed 25 years for the crime, and several other sex offences against women.

Dougherty's fight for freedom

• In 1993, Dougherty is wrongly convicted on charges of abduction and the rape of an 11-year-old West Auckland girl.

• In 1997, new DNA evidence rules him out as the attacker, and Dougherty is acquitted. He had spent three years in prison.

• In 2001 he is issued a public apology, and $868,728.80 in compensation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• In 2003, Nicholas Reekie is found guilty and convicted of the crime.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Crime

Mongrel Mob mum jailed after going into hiding during daughter's murder trial

11 May 07:00 AM
Crime

Wilhelmina Shrimpton shares update after car sideswiped in Kingsland

New Zealand

Ferry crew member confirmed as new Auckland measles case

11 May 06:49 AM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Mongrel Mob mum jailed after going into hiding during daughter's murder trial

Mongrel Mob mum jailed after going into hiding during daughter's murder trial

11 May 07:00 AM

Kelly-Anne Burns never returned after being granted short-term bail to attend a funeral.

Wilhelmina Shrimpton shares update after car sideswiped in Kingsland

Wilhelmina Shrimpton shares update after car sideswiped in Kingsland

 Ferry crew member confirmed as new Auckland measles case

Ferry crew member confirmed as new Auckland measles case

11 May 06:49 AM
64 Auckland beaches flagged as unsafe for swimming

64 Auckland beaches flagged as unsafe for swimming

11 May 05:52 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

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
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • 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