Police officer's job reference prompts questions

By PHIL TAYLOR

The top police officer accused of the pack rape of a teenager in the mid-1980s gave a verbal job reference for a detective inspector accused of failing to properly investigate the complaint.

Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards, who has been stood down as Auckland's top policeman pending a commission of inquiry and a new police investigation, gave the reference for John Dewar when St John hired him as an executive about two years ago.

Jaimes Wood, the chief executive of St John's parent company, said he was unaware of Mr Rickards' reference and would make inquiries.

Mr Wood confirmed that St John was not fully informed of Mr Dewar's record in the police when he was employed.

It had not known that Mr Dewar was convicted by a police disciplinary tribunal of making a sexist and improper remark to a policewoman, nor that he was transferred to a desk job in Auckland from his role as detective inspector in charge of the Rotorua CIB because he was considered a divisive factor in the station.

"I have got the microscope on this and I am working out what to do," Mr Wood said.

Louise Nicholas complained to Mr Dewar in 1993 that when she was 18, she was raped and violated with a police baton by Mr Rickards, Brad Shipton, now a Tauranga city councillor and bar-owner, and Bob Schollum, a Hawkes Bay car salesman.

She accuses Mr Dewar of not properly investigating her complaint because he was covering up for the police officers.

TVNZ last night reported the claim of another former Rotorua woman who said she had had group sex with Mr Dewar and Mr Shipton.

Rex Miller, a former detective chief inspector who headed an inquiry for the Police Complaints Authority into Mr Dewar's handling of Mrs Nicholas' complaint, has said his inquiry was compromised by Mr Dewar, who used the influence he had at the time over Mrs Nicholas to ensure she did not co-operate.

The authority's report is understood to have been critical of Mr Dewar's inquiry.

Mr Dewar did not interview Mr Rickards face-to-face about Mrs Nicholas' allegations. He told the authority he phoned Mr Rickards, who was then stationed in Invercargill, and made notes in his diary, which has been lost.

Mr Dewar would not comment yesterday but this month said he stood by his handling of the matter and rejected criticism that he should have disqualified himself because of his association with the accused.

That association had been professional and ended several years ago, Mr Dewar said.

"I would challenge anyone to come forward and tell me what relationship I have with those men. We don't socialise or go to each other's homes. We don't call each other up."

Weekend Herald inquiries indicate that before Mr Dewar was appointed human relations manager of St John's Midland (Waikato) branch, Mr Rickards was contacted for a verbal reference.

It is understood Mr Rickards may have been surprised to be called by St John but gave a positive response.

Mr Dewar was unsuccessful in an earlier bid for an administrative position with the ambulance service.

St John Midland region board member Ken Williamson confirmed he was a friend of Mr Dewar. They had known each other since childhood and he was pleased when he heard of the appointment.

Mr Williamson said he mentioned this friendship to Midland chief executive Edward Jackson but neither he nor the board had any part in Mr Dewar's selection.

Mr Williamson said Mr Dewar had mentioned he once worked with Mr Rickards, who was then Waikato district commander. But Mr Williamson was unaware that Mr Rickards was a referee.

Mr Dewar was selected by a management committee who included human relations consultant Steve Saunders.

Mr Saunders said he could not be sure who gave references without checking notes, but thought he had called "someone senior in the police".

Mr Jackson said Mr Dewar's appointment process was open and proper. He had not dealt personally with Mr Dewar's referees and could not recall who they were. He considered it inappropriate to say publicly who they were.

He also did not think it right to reveal what St John knew about Mr Dewar's police service.

But Mr Saunders said the hiring committee was unaware of the police tribunal conviction and Mr Dewar's removal from command of Rotorua's CIB. "That would have changed things quite a lot."

Mr Rickards declined to comment. His lawyer, John Haigh, QC, issued this statement:

"Assistant Commissioner Rickards is the subject of two inquiries. He reiterates that he has committed no offences but on legal advice is not prepared to respond to media inquiries. Any relevant issues will be dealt with in the course of those inquiries."

Mr Dewar is human relations manager for the St John Midland region, which covers the Waikato.

Mr Rickards was Waikato commander from 1999 until September 2001, when he became Assistant Commissioner and moved to police national headquarters in Wellington.

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