Tears as Taranaki officers acquitted

• Author: Belinda Feek
• Published date: 09 June 2021
• Date: 09 June 2021
• Publication title: Stratford Press

All three accused broke down in tears as the verdicts were read out. Family, friends and colleagues of the officers also broke down in tears and hugged each other.

The three officers have had name suppression since being charged with the manslaughter of 55-year-old Allen Ball on June 1, 2019.

They can now be named as Sergeant Sandra Ilene Shaw, Probationary Constable Corey Steven Waite and Constable Craig Michael Longworth.

There was no continued application for name suppression made by their counsel.

There was no comment from the officers as they left court, however, there was an emotional reunion as they were reunited with family, friends and colleagues who had supported them throughout the three-week trial.

Allen Ball’s daughter, Stacey, was visibly upset at the verdicts, as were Ball’s two sisters and brother from Australia.

Ball’s former partner, Stacey Whitmore, said the verdicts were “a bit s*** but it is what it is”. Asked how he would feel when, or if, the officers go back to work, Whitmore said, “We’ll see”.

The jury of four men and seven women was sent out by Justice Susan Thomas in the High Court at New Plymouth just before 1.40pm on Thursday, June 3.

They returned with their verdicts — in front of a packed public gallery of family, friends and colleagues — three hours later.

The verdicts would have set a precedent if either or all were found guilty, as it would have been the first time an officer, or officers, had been convicted of manslaughter in New Zealand.

Police Association president Chris Cahill said Ball’s death in custody should never have reached a criminal court and instead could have been investigated by Worksafe or the Coroner.

“I don’t believe this was he right forum for this issue to be resolved, I think there were other forums including an IPCA investigation, a coronial investigation or even possibly a Worksafe investigation and possibly prosecution.”

Cahill said the length of time a police officer was trained at college before hitting the streets should also be reviewed.

“I think that’s part of the thing that they have to look at. There’s a lot that police have to do now, there’s a lot of scrutiny that they come under.

“The practical side of the training is putting something in a book in front of someone but not giving them any practical training the right answer? I question that it is.”

He agreed with criticism during the trial that the training provided for officers wasn’t adequate.

“I would agree with most of the criticism...