Police cover-up allegations: Profile of Brad Shipton

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

Former policeman and now businessman and Tauranga councillor Brad Shipton - one of the men named in the police rape allegations - is no stranger to publicity.

Last year one of several bars he owns, the Mount Mellick, made the headlines when it featured a "leprechaun curling" contest.

Mr Shipton defended the dwarf throwing as "a bit of fun". The floorshow was the idea of professional entertainer and little person Andrew Roigard. He was happy to be covered in vegetable oil and have punters propel him on his stomach along a 6m polythene sheet. It was neither dangerous nor denigrating, Mr Shipton said at the time.

At another of his pubs, Hillcrest Tavern, a Hamilton student haunt, a promotional event last year was a frozen T-shirt competition.

But Brad Shipton admitted yesterday that he was not coping well with wide media coverage of accusations that he took part, with two other police officers, in sexual misconduct in Rotorua 18 years ago.

Mr Shipton said: "I have been getting a lot of support over this."

He has repeatedly denied the allegations and said his family had been fantastic.

In a statement issued by his lawyer, Mr Shipton said: "I denied the allegations absolutely then, and I deny them absolutely now. They were the subject of a thorough police investigation about 10 years ago and as a result I was cleared of all allegations."

Tauranga mayor Jan Beange, briefed early on Friday by Mr Shipton about the allegations becoming public, doubts they will affect his service on the Tauranga District Council.

"Allegations in the media are simply that, allegations. No charges have been laid," said Ms Beange, a lawyer, who cautioned: "Innocent until proven guilty."

Neither Mr Shipton's council peers nor she were his judge or jurors, said the mayor.

She expected he would continue to use his skills and judgment in the best interests of the city.

The high-profile Tauranga man, who keeps fit with gym workouts, running and occasional surfing, gained a council seat in a byelection in mid-2002, having been the highest polling unsuccessful candidate in the triennial elections the previous October.

A brawny 1.88m, 120kg-plus figure with a shiny, shaven head, the usually affable Mr Shipton is articulate, generally moderate in his views on council, but can be controversial. He and a fellow councillor stormed out of one meeting after a heated debate on increased water charges.

Mr Shipton turned businessman after 18 years as a police officer. In 1989 he was part of a United Nations peacekeeping force sent to monitor Namibia's first elections after independence from South Africa, for which he received a New Zealand Operation Medal.

He married 25 years ago at age 18 and has one daughter.