Dunne backs media over Rogers tape
Tuesday, 13 December 2005
Dunne backs media over Rogers tape
United Future leader, Peter Dunne, says he supports the media in its efforts to show a videotaped confession to murder that has been temporarily suppressed by the courts.
The tape allegedly shows Noel Rogers admitting to murdering Katherine Sheffield at Mangonui 11 years ago, but the Court of Appeal ruled the confession had been obtained improperly and it was not allowed to be shown to the jury in Rogers' murder trial.
"Now that the trial has ended and Rogers has been acquitted, his lawyer is arguing that the Court of Appeal ruling effectively means the tape never existed and it should be suppressed permanently," said Mr Dunne.
"I concede the non-existence of the tape for the purposes of a fair trial, but there is a real world outside the courtroom and the tape certainly exists in that world.
"Now that Mr Rogers has received the benefit of a fair trial, it's in the interests of the Sheffield family and the public to see the tape," said Mr Dunne.
ENDS