Top cop cleared of historic rape charges

By ABIGAIL CASPARI in Auckland
The last two years have been torture for one of New Zealand's highest ranking police officers Clint Rickards.

It has been the worst nightmare you could imagine, the 44-year-old Assistant Police Commissioner told a throng of journalists waiting for him as he walked out of the High Court at Auckland arm-in-arm with his partner Tania Eden, shortly after he was acquitted on eight charges.

Rickards has been on trial for the past three weeks after pleading not guilty to three charges of rape, four of indecent assault and one of sexually violating Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas in Rotorua in the mid-1980s.

She went public with her allegations against the three men just over two years ago.

Rickards said he was disappointed about aspects of the police investigation but would not comment further yesterday.

Rickards' two former police colleagues Bradley Keith Shipton, 47, and Robert Francis Schollum, 53, were also cleared on all charges.

Shipton pleaded not guilty to three charges of rape, three of indecent assault and one of sexual violation.

Schollum pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape and four of indecent assault.

The jury reached its verdict at about 3pm yesterday on its third day of deliberations.

Mrs Nicholas and her husband Ross were whisked into court before the jury arrived and rushed away as soon as the verdicts had been read out.

Justice Tony Randerson told the packed public gallery to be silent for the verdicts.

Rickards' son Willie and other family members quietly cried as each of the not guilty verdicts were read out.

Rickards, Shipton and Schollum were also crying.

Family and friends of the three men could not contain their reaction and were asked to leave the courtroom.

Outside there were screams, shouts and tears as family members and friends hugged each other.

Schollum's wife Caron sobbed as her father Howard Russell told her to let it out.

Willie Rickards, who had been in court to support his father throughout the trial, said he was ecstatic.

A very happy Tracey Shipton said she was thrilled her brother had been acquitted on the charges.

"It has been a long time coming," she told the Daily Post yesterday.

"This has been about politics - not about issues presented in court.

Shipton's mother, who did not want to be named, said justice had been served.

His brother Greg claimed the case had been about stopping the first Police Commissioner being a Maori.

Family members and friends also gathered for a prayer after the verdicts.

A family member who spoke on behalf of Shipton and Schollum's families said he had struggled with his faith in God during the trial but his faith had now been restored.

"We can all sleep tonight knowing that just maybe the justice system works."

He said he hoped this sort persecution would not happen again.

Outside the courthouse Rickards thanked his family for their support.

Yesterday Justice Randerson made it public that during the three-week trial two members of the public were held in contempt of court for speaking to jurors in the precincts of the courthouse and breaching an earlier court order. They were banned from the courthouse for the rest of the trial.

Justice Randerson said he treated the contempts with the utmost seriousness because they had the potential to force the trial to be aborted.