David McNee's killer Phillip Edwards claims he knew the judge's husband who did not press charges against him for robbery, leaving him out of jail and free to kill McNee ten months later. Police have released their file on the break-in at the home of Auckland art curator Peter Shaw, married to Employment Court judge Coral Shaw. Mr Shaw's lawyer, John Haigh QC, says there are many inaccurate and disputed details in the file. An account recorded by Detective Sergeant Mark McHattie shows Edwards claimed he met Mr Shaw several weeks before the burglary. He claimed he was sniffing glue at Western Springs one morning when he was approached by Mr Shaw, who said he wanted to help him. Edwards claimed that Mr Shaw asked him to his house for a cup of coffee and something to eat, and they drove there in Mr Shaw's car. What Edwards claimed happened at the house is blacked out – to protect the privacy of individuals, according to a police spokeswoman. Police say they did not charge Edwards because Mr Shaw was traumatised and wanted the case dropped. There were differences between the versions of events, and they could not prove which was correct.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 19th September 2004 - 12:00pm