Rape accuser's brother struggles with 20-year-old events

The older brother of alleged Rotorua rape victim Louise Nicholas has told a court it is hard to accurately recall events which happened 20 years ago.

Peter Crawford was giving evidence in the trial in the High Court at Auckland today of three men Ms Nicholas says raped and sexually abused her when they were serving policemen in Rotorua in 1985 and 1986.

On trial are assistant police commissioner Clint Rickards, who is suspended on full pay, and former policemen Bradley Keith Shipton and Robert Schollum. They have denied a total of 20 charges of rape and sexual abuse.

Mr Crawford described his family's close association with police when they lived in Murupara in the mid 1980s. He said he became good friends with several police officers, including the accused Schollum.

Mr Crawford moved to Rotorua about 1985 and used to drink at the Rotorua police bar and Cobb & Co with all three accused during the period the alleged rape and abuse occurred.

He said Shipton and Rickards were "big guys" who used to work out in the gym but he said he never saw them working out.

He said he saw both men in team policing uniforms, which he described as a long dark trench coat-like jacket.

Ms Nicholas said in her evidence that Shipton and Rickards regularly visited her for sex without her consent. Sometimes they wore police uniform, sometimes they wore suits, she said.

Defence lawyers suggested the men were in the CIB and did not wear uniforms. Mr Crawford said he has seen Shipton and Rickards in uniform.

In cross-examination Schollum's lawyer Paul Mabey QC told Mr Crawford he was not interested in evidence he "may have heard".

"We don't really deal in guessing Mr Crawford," Mr Mabey said.

Mr Crawford said he could only go with what he had been told -- it was 20 years ago.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

- NZPA