James Wallace, pictured at the Auckland High Court for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig
James Wallace, pictured at the Auckland High Court for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig
One of the victims of James Hay Wallace said he still relives the night he was assaulted by the disgraced former knight when the story is in the news, but that he also pities the now jailed sex offender.
Writer Dom Shaheen speaks about his experience in the third and final episode of the Herald podcast special A Moment In Crime - The Patron.
The series looks back at the life and crimes of Wallace, 85. Until his spectacular fall from grace, the Auckland rich-lister was considered one of the biggest supporters of New Zealand film and art.
Herald senior journalist Anna Leask has written and hosted a three-part special delving into the investigation and prosecution of Wallace - arguably one of the most high-profile and scandalous sex abuse trials this country has seen.
Wallace, a flamboyant philanthropist, lived a life of opulence and spread his fortune - estimated at around $170 million - generously among up-and-coming musicians, writers, actors, dancers and community groups.
He amassed a collection of art like no other in this country, sharing his pieces in notable buildings like the Supreme Court and the Pah Homestead, where they could be viewed and enjoyed by all Kiwis.
Wallace was respected, revered - and even knighted.
The final chapter of The Patron details the abuse of each victim and their journey - in their own words.
Writer and lawyer Dom Shaheen was indecently assaulted by James Wallace during a business meeting at his Epsom mansion Rannoch in the early 2000s. Photo / Supplied
In an interview with Leask, Dom Shaheen speaks about his journey from the night of the abuse to coming forward to police and his journey through the court system and of healing.
He told Leask that while it comes up less now than it did during the trial, seeing stories about Wallace fighting for parole sends him back to the night he was attacked.
Shaheen says that he describes Wallace as behaving as a “repulsive human being” that night, and has no plans to forgive him for his crimes.
“He has taken no responsibility for his actions. I’ve had friends and family tell me I have to forgive me. I’ve been told that me moving on is tied to that forgiveness.
“I don’t feel I owe him forgiveness, certainly not yet. I’m not sure whether that will change, I’m not sure it will change unless he takes responsibility for what he’s done.”
He says that Wallace is a “sad creature”, and hopes that he does gain courage to take responsibility.
Shaheen, like other victims of Wallace, met him through his philanthropic role as a patron for the arts sector. In this episode, Leask traverses the impact of the offending on the arts community. Arts writer Sam Ackerton joins the podcast to discuss that impact, the extent of Wallace’s influence, and how Wallace abused a lack of funding to get away with his crimes.
A Moment In Crime - The Patron tells the story across three episodes of Wallace’s life, crimes, court case and the impact it had on the victims and wider community.
You can listen back to Part One of The Patron right now, which looks at how Leask broke the initial case and what led to
In Part Two, listen to how the initial court case was brought to a sudden halt due to some drastic audio - and explores what led to James Wallace finally being named.
These episodes of A Moment In Crime deal with sexual offending and are intended for a mature audience.
If you need help, or you are worried about someone else, there is a list of crisis and support agencies at the end of this story.
The first episode of A Moment In Crime was released in September 2019 and focused on the Christchurch terror attacks to mark six months since the shootings in two city mosques.
Episodes of A Moment In Crime are usually released monthly, and so far, Leask has covered 44 cases.
