Man denies trying to sell police images to media

Pieri Munro says that the loss of the camera is 'not good enough.' Photo / Mark Mitchell

The man who copied grisly crime scene images from a police camera accidentally left at a house today denied he had tried to sell them to media.

Police yesterday admitted a "monstrous mistake" when the images, including dead bodies and domestic violence victims, were left behind at a Lower Hutt house following a drugs raid last year.

At least 16 people were identifiable in the pictures.

Police retrieved the camera but were told that Stokes Valley man Chris Kidman had copied the images and tried to sell them.

It was believed Mr Kidman had connections to the person who returned the camera.

However, Mr Kidman today denied he had asked the news media for money.

He told Radio New Zealand he was motivated to come forward as the public had a right to know when the police made such serious mistakes.

"If this DVD that I had, got into the wrong possession it could have been all over Ebay or anything. There could have been a lot of distraughted (sic) families out there."

Police deny blackmail claim

Kidman alleged yesterday the camera, returned after two days, had been used by his uncle's partner to bribe police into seeking a reduced sentence, after the uncle was convicted on drug and firearms charges.

Wellington police district commander Superintendent Pieri Munro said that after the camera's return, police prosecutors made a submission to a judge regarding a case close to the person who returned the camera.

He denied that the person had blackmailed police into accepting a plea bargain for an uncle facing unrelated drugs and firearms charges, saying police had not considered any bribes.
Mr Munro

"There was no plea bargaining here. What did happen was that police - which is not unusual in a police case - made a formal letter submission to the judge.

"It was not a plea bargain, it was at the discretion of the judge."

Mr Munro was unable to comment on the contents of the letter.

'Appropriately dealt with'

Police Minister Judith Collins said today police didn't involve her in ongoing cases, but was confident the latest issue had been dealt with appropriately.

Regarding the alleged bribery issue, she wouldn't be drawn on whether the camera had in fact been used as a bribe, but warned it wouldn't be wise to take what Kidman said at face value.

Police were within their rights to offer a submission to a judge if someone had been helpful in assisting a case, she said.

"It's not plea bargaining, it's actually advising the judge that someone has been helpful, and that is used all the time and has been for many years."

Ms Collins said it was always concerning when lapses affecting the public occurred, and that police were embarrassed by the latest one.

"But it's also good to bear in mind that there are 420,000 offences in any year that they deal with," she told Radio New Zealand.

The Police Commissioner has assured Ms Collins that the blunder will not be repeated.

She said last night: "Obviously, this is embarrassing for the police. It is essential that police keep track of sensitive material and don't let it fall into the wrong hands.

"I raised the issue with Police Commissioner Howard Broad today. He assured me that while there is always a chance that objects could be left behind in the heat of police operations, new processes have been put in place to minimise the chance of it happening again."

Police 'embarrassed'

Mr Munro today said police staff had contacted six of the seven parties identifiable in the images. Yesterday he issued an apology.

"It's of concern to me that the images were not in police possession, that the camera was mislaid by one of our staff. It's unacceptable, it's not good enough."

The police camera was mislaid at a Lower Hutt address on December 1 last year, he said.

An inquiry began the next day, and police were notified on December 4 that a person had found the camera, which was promptly returned.

"This is a mistake that my staff made. We're accountable for that, I accept that," Mr Munro said

It was the second incident of mislaid police property in as many days, after it was revealed on Wednesday that police had left a restricted document with members of the Mongrel Mob during a raid last month.

Public confidence was shaken by the two incidents, Mr Munro said.

"We've made two monstrous mistakes. They were unrelated, quite different circumstances.

"I'm disappointed, we are embarrassed as a result."

- Isaac Davison and NZPA