MIXED VERDICT FOR EX-POLICEMAN

A former police officer was yesterday convicted of violently
assaulting his girlfriend.

But Tyler Stephens was cleared by a jury in the High Court at
Auckland on two other charges of assaulting the woman, three of
sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and one of raping her.

Stuart Grieve, QC, prosecuting with Karen Latimer, had told the jury
the charges related to three separate incidents in September 1999,
and January and May last year when Stephens was a serving constable.
One of the incidents was alleged to have occurred after the couple
split up.

Stephens, aged 26, of Blockhouse Bay, was found guilty of injuring
the woman with intent, by headbutting her twice on the forehead.

Justice Hugh Williams remanded him in custody for sentencing next month.

Defence counsel Peter Kaye, appearing with Roger Chambers, had told
the court the complainant was a woman scorned, who had made up the
allegations to get back at Stephens.

The case was a retrial.

Neither jury was aware that on the morning of the first trial,
Stephens had been discharged on sex charges relating to another
former partner who declined to return from overseas to give evidence
against him.

Last November Stephens was sentenced in the Auckland District Court
to two months' jail after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis
and Ecstasy.

He had resigned from the police just before the district court hearing.

His former partner told the High Court jury that initially she had
feared the police would protect one of their own.

But outside the court the officer who was in charge of the case,
Detective Senior Sergeant Jim Gallagher, said that allegations of
offending were investigated impartially and fairly, irrespective of
who was involved.

"The fact that it was a serving police officer, and the way he was
dealt with during the investigation, shows that he - the same as
anyone else - is not above the law."

He said Stephens had now been convicted of a serious violence offence
and drug-related charges.

"Clearly, those are traits which are not only criminal, but ones
which no police force would want its officers to have, " Detective
Senior Sergeant Gallagher said.