Woman rejected police sex - Crown

Assistant Commissioner Clinton Rickards walks to the Rotorua court yesterday. Picture / Amos Chapple

Louise Nicholas did not want to have sex with three men now charged with raping, sexually violating and indecently assaulting her nearly 20 years ago, when she was 18, a court heard yesterday.

But, the Rotorua woman alleges, she felt powerless to reject their sexual advances because they were policemen - combined with their physical presence.

One of the country's top police officers, Assistant Commissioner Clinton Rickards, and two former police officers, Bradley Shipton and Robert Schollum, are before Rotorua District Court judge Chris McGuire for a depositions hearing on a raft of 20 collective charges.

All three have denied the allegations strenuously. John Haigh, QC, is representing Rickards, Paul Mabey, QC, appears for Schollum and Bill Nabney for Shipton.

Details of the case are covered by strict suppression orders, which Judge McGuire said "may be amended as we go down the path".

Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said Louise Nicholas was flatting in Corlett St, Rotorua, in 1986 at the time of the alleged offending. The three accused were all working at the Rotorua police station.

The Nicholas family had known Schollum for some years and she met the other two through him, said Mr Zarifeh. Although she did not consider Rickards and Shipton friends, they became regular visitors.

"The sole purpose of their visits to Ms Nicholas' address was to have sexual intercourse with her," he said.

Shipton and Rickards went to her house six to 12 times and each had sex with her against her will.

One evening in early 1986, Ms Nicholas was walking home from work when Schollum stopped her and insisted on giving her a ride to her place. But he drove past her street and on to Rutland St, where she had never been.

He pulled into the driveway of a house being rented by Shipton who was sitting on the balcony. Ms Nicholas immediately became concerned but Schollum reassured her and encouraged her to go in. They joined Shipton and Rickards who were drinking beer on the balcony.

A protesting Ms Nicholas was led into a bedroom by Schollum and the other two joined them. Alleged rapes and indecencies followed. The prosecutor said Ms Nicholas did not report it to the police then, "given the position of the defendants and the fact she felt intimidated by them".

He said from December 1992 she told her family and then the police. An investigation followed but charges were not laid. The men were interviewed in 1995 and each acknowledged a consensual sexual relationship with Louise Nicholas, including a group sexual encounter.

Ms Nicholas renewed her allegations in January last year, resulting in a new investigation and charges being laid.

Her mother-in-law Phyllis Nicholas said in evidence that her son Ross started going out with Louise in late 1985.

She told of occasions when Louise was off work unwell and had rung requesting to be picked up and taken to the Nicholas home. Mrs Nicholas did not ask her what was wrong, though one time when she found her very upset and doubled up in pain she got her own doctor to visit Louise.

Mrs Nicholas said she had twice seen a marked police car at, or near, Louise's flat when Louise had called her to come but did not ask what it was there for. "She had only been going with Ross for a short time. I didn't feel I knew her well enough."

Louise's husband Ross, who was 21 when he met her, said he had been alone at Louise's house one day when Shipton and Rickards, in police uniforms, knocked on the door. They asked if a colleague was there.

When Mr Nicholas said he wasn't "they just left".

The hearing will continue today.

Complainant

Louise Nicholas, now 38 and a mother of three.

Accused

* Clinton John Tukotahi Rickards, 44, faces eight charges

* Bradley Keith Shipton, 47, faces eight charges

* Robert Francis Schollum, 53, faces four charges