Ross Revington, 1989
Phillip Cooper was a partner in the law firm of Woodward Isles, the firm was the contracted crown solicitor and Cooper the incumbent Crown Prosecutor. The firm had also, in a serious breach of ethics, successfully sought to represent various creditors, most notably the receivers of Lew Holdings ltd; the owner of Albert Park.
Cooper was an experienced Barrister and was responsible initially for prosecuting the vast majority of the unsuccessful charges Malcolm Thomas had laid against the men including the contrived McBreen assault charges designed to discredit the men and assist their new client the receiver of Lew Holdings . Cooper from the outset had been aiding the Police with his own variety of legal obstructionism a common tactic employed in malicious prosecutions, designed to hinder the defence. Documents that the defence in 1988 – 89 had every right to be given have only now been disclosed.
Documents which prove the alleged and complained of criminal conspiracy by police – documents that Phillip Cooper in 1988 – 89 was no doubt aware of.
Judith Potter Farrow Finance
At the very same time Woodward Isles was representing farrow finance, (whose senior management team at
Ross Revington 2010
the time consisted of Paul Rooney and Judith Potter (more about Judith Potter in the book), and the recievers of Lew Holdings Ltd. Ross Revington, Coopers colleague was handling the civil whilst Cooper was dealing with the criminal, far from an ethical situation. The firm was also assisting the liquidators of Registered Securities Ltd.
This Law firm had its hand in almost every legal aspect of the fall out resulting from Detectives Matt Willcox and Malcolm Thomas’s corrupt conspiracy to bring about the collapse; the arrangement was incest defined, a serious conflict of interest at best insidious corruption at worst.
Cooper was an experienced practitioner and undoubtedly aware of the serious conflict. Cooper must have also been aware that the charges Thomas was laying would not stand scrutiny by a competent and impartial Court and yet Cooper aggressively pursued them all, obtaining the necessary negative media coverage on Behalf of Thomas and the other bent Police so as to cover their criminal offending – Cooper only withdraw the charges in court, the only possible explanation for his gross manipulation of the judicial system – the destruction of the men’s reputations and credibility.
He had also been involved in representing the Health Department in their invalid, seriously flawed and ultimately failed attempt to destroy Gladstone Park. In short Phil Cooper and Ross Revington had put their names to almost almost every attack launched against the brothers by the Police, the health department, the conspiring creditors Registered securities, Farrow finance and those falsely claiming to have been assaulted so as to discredit.
Detective Malcolm Thomas
Thomas and the other bent cops were liasing with Woodward Isles, with Cooper in particular almost on a daily basis. Cooper was obviously responsible for giving the Police the legal advice in the bogus charges being laid and obviously many of the decisions in the areas of disclosure and the extraordinary bail conditions that had been imposed on the men, once Thomas was aware that the men had been collecting evidence of the corruption. Cooper was also clearly responsible for the prosecutions obstructionist attitude. When requests for disclosure where made, on almost every occasion, the delay was caused by the documents being with Cooper.
Cooper and Revington were corrupt, an honest solicitor would have played by the rules these men did not. Together they used almost every abusive tactic known and on a number of occasions were reprimanded by the Court for having done so.
One such occasion was when the men’s Mother had been charged by Thomas in a deliberate attempt to humiliate and inflict psychological injury. The effort Thomas went to was extraordinary having the woman, a medical professional, tracked down and served at work. Then requiring her to travel the 600 kilometres to Gisborne to attend a depositions hearing where the charges were immediately dismissed as absolutely ludicrous by the Judge whom conveyed his displeasure to Cooper .
This however did not seem to deter Cooper as he kept up the attack, Revington however left Law for an extended period after their mounting failures had obviously taken an emotional toll – on one occasion bursting into tears following a tribunal hearing; a serious psychological episode, bordering on a nervous breakdown; all because he had been called on the corruption.
Cooper had been aware that the attacks and media coverage were based on malicious rumour and gossip, there is absolutely no doubt about that, he had been warned in no uncertain terms by Justice Elliot but he persisted in facilitating the malicious game that the police were playing but now beginning to loose. He had to have known that the charges he was prosecuting had no foundation in truth and would doubtless fail after all he was a highly qualified legal professional.
Coopers skill, knowledge and experience was extensive, to argue contrary would be futile Cooper could never successfully plead ignorance or gross incompetence. The only other plausible explanation? – He was doubtless an integral part of a systemically corrupt network of cops and civil servants that thrived in Gisborne and elsewhere in New Zealand during the 1980’s and early 90’s.
Related articles
- Greg “The Egg” O’connor Got It Wrong Again. (laudafinem.com)