Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster claims ministers knew about McSkimming allegations

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says he briefed both former Police Minister Chris Hipkins and current Police Minister Mark Mitchell about allegations being made about Jevon McSkimming from a woman he had an affair with.

Mitchell said he stands by all his statements and that Coster’s “recollections are wrong”.

“If Mr Coster’s focus is on relitigating matters, there are legal recourses available to him and if he truly believes what he is saying, nothing prevents him pursuing those.”

Hipkins has been approached for comment. He told TVNZ’s Q+A he had no recollection of the conversation.

RNZ revealed on Wednesday Coster had resigned as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency after the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s damning report into police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Coster has not responded to several interview requests from RNZ. In a statement on Wednesday he said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the IPCA’s report.

In an told interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted.

He said he briefed the then Minister of Police Chris Hipkins in 2022 as he felt it was important he knew what he knew.

He said he told Hipkins that McSkimming told him he had an affair with a “much younger woman” and that the relationship “soured badly” and she was now emailing “all sorts of people with allegations about him”.

He said the briefing was in 2022 in the back of a car while the two men were travelling in the South Island.

He said he was unable to prove the conversation occurred.

“It’s simply my account.”

He said a big reflection for him was to take better notes, adding he wrongly assumed people would not “run for the hills”.

He also disputed that Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year.

“There is no way I was only just telling him about this in my last couple of weeks in the job,” he said.

“We had discussed this informally through 2024…”

He did not have the exact date, but said it was an “informal conversation” in the same terms as his conversation with Hipkins.

Asked why Hipkins and Mitchell would deny that, he said: “you would have to ask them”.

“All I can say is no-one wants to be close to this.”

Coster said he was not saying others acted inappropriately, but that they knew more than they have admitted.

“There doesn’t appear to have been a full disclosure of the conversations,” he said.

Asked why he should be trusted, Coster replied: “I acted honestly, I acted in good faith, my judgements were wrong and I accept that.”

In response to Coster’s allegations, Mitchell said it was “disappointing that following his resignation, that came with an apology to police less than a week ago, Mr Coster is trying to deflect and relitigate matters”.

“I firmly stand by all my statements and facts presented in relation to the IPCA report. Mr Coster’s recollections are wrong.

“I want to make very clear that Mr Coster never briefed me, either formally or informally, about Jevon McSkimming and Ms Z prior to 6 November 2024. I would note his recollections of disclosures in the IPCA report were often found to be inconsistent and unreliable.

“If Mr Coster’s focus is on relitigating matters, there are legal recourses available to him and if he truly believes what he is saying, nothing prevents him pursuing those.”

Mitchell said that as a Government, the focus was on “implementing the recommendations of the IPCA report to ensure this cannot happen again”.

‘My intention was for this to be done properly’

Coster also said he did not pressure staff to get an investigation done in a week so as to not impact McSkimming’s chances of being commissioner.

He said he did not believe it was a complicated investigation to resolve.

“I was really saying let’s make sure we balance the need for him to make an application if he chooses to do that…”

He said at that time McSkimming was a victim of criminal harassment.

The IPCA report said all attendees of meetings regarding the investigation reported feeling pressure.

“I accept that I was very keen to make sure the investigation was moved forward in a timely manner. I wasn’t asking for a shortcut… I had an understanding that in the end it was a pretty simple question of where does the truth lie in this, is there sufficient evidence in the allegations.

“My intention was for this to be done properly.”

He said the “worst case scenario” was if the allegations were false “the ultimate victimisation of Jevon for criminal harassment was missing out” on applying for Commissioner.

‘A trusted colleague’

Coster said the McSkimming he knew during his time in police was a talented police officer and a “trusted colleague” who got on well with people, was innovative and good at his job.

He said he was “gutted” when he read in the media that objectionable material had allegedly been found on his devices.

Asked if he was friends with McSkimming, he said the two “weren’t mates”.

Near the end of the interview, Coster was asked about the comments from Police Commissioner Richard Chambers about the IPCA report and the leadership at the time.

Coster said it was “tempting” when you take over someone’s job “to say everything that went before was broken and wrong, because it creates a great platform to come in and fix it”.

“The truth is, in leadership you stand on the shoulders of others. You build on what others have done before you. And that was my approach, you know, I was quick to acknowledge the good work that was done by the previous Commissioner, to keep what was good and to build on it. That’s the way I would prefer to lead.”

RNZ earlier reported former Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura visited McSkimming while he faced charges of possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. McSkimming pleaded guilty earlier this month.

RNZ understands she visited him with Police Assistant Commissioner Sam Hoyle. It’s understood Kura asked Hoyle to visit McSkimming with her. It’s understood the purpose of the visit was to do a welfare check on McSkimming.

Coster told TVNZ’S Q+A that Kura was a “good person”.

“When Tania says I went there to check on his well being, that’s what she was doing. And you know, it’s very tempting to treat someone who has been found to be doing what he was doing as a non-human.

“He was still the responsibility of New Zealand police in terms of his wellbeing, until he wasn’t, and I accept the way it looks and and a risk averse leader would say, you know, stuff him I’m not I’m not going to see him. You know, he can do what he wants. You know, I think she was trying to do the right thing for someone who, at the end of this is still a human being.”

Coster said the impact of the IPCA report and the fallout had been “hugely damaging”.

“It has caused me to step away from work that I believe in deeply, and I think is really important for our country. So, yeah, it’s a massive impact.

“I come at this, though, from a perspective that’s broader than me and my reputation. I know what I did. I know why I did it. I’m able to sleep well at night. You know, my faith is tremendously important to me and is an anchor where I my identity doesn’t come from what people think of me from my work, what I do, it comes from where I see myself standing in relation to the faith that I have.”

IPCA’s damning findings

The IPCA said that when McSkimming disclosed his affair to Coster in 2020, the former Police Commissioner should “at a minimum have asked more questions”.

“This is particularly the case given Deputy Commissioner McSkimming had told him that the female was aggrieved and was sending harassing and threatening emails to him and his community.”

Then in 2023, while a member of the interview panel for the statutory Deputy Commissioner appointment process, Coster “failed to disclose” to the Public Service Commission his knowledge of McSkimming’s relationship which had subsequently led to the emails.

“This failure clearly fell below what a reasonable person would have expected of a person in his position. Notwithstanding his recollection that the matter was already known to the panel, the panel members we spoke to were firm in their recollection that Commissioner Coster did not raise it, and that at that time they did not otherwise know about it. We have seen documentary evidence from the PSC that supports that view.”

In January 2024, Coster due to the number and nature of emails and concern for McSkimming’s welfare, Coster directed Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura to seek the input of the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC), as well as consider mental health support for the woman.

An investigation into the woman, referred to as Ms Z, began February 2024 and she was charged under the Harmful Digital Communications Act in May 2024.

The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence.

The IPCA accepted that Coster entrusted Kura to commission the FTAC’s involvement, and to adequately respond to any recommendations they made.

“However, he was the Deputy Commissioner’s direct supervisor in terms of overall operations. Ultimately, he bore the responsibility for managing organisational risks.

“Given the very significant risk this matter posed to the organisation, even if the allegations were false, he should have given it higher priority and assured himself that the FTAC report was being handled appropriately. We cannot escape the conclusion that his preconception of Deputy Commissioner McSkimming as the only potential victim clouded his decision-making.”

Coster’s disclosure to the Public Service Commission on 8 October 2024, during the interim Commissioner appointment process also “fell well short of what a reasonable person would expect, given what he knew at the time.”

“At about the same time, he also inappropriately tried to influence the National Integrity Unit’s investigation into Ms Z’s complaint and to persuade the IPCA that the matter could be resolved quickly.

“While Commissioner Coster focused on the need to afford natural justice to Deputy Commissioner McSkimming, he did not sufficiently consider the injustice that would arise if there was indeed truth to Ms Z’s allegations.”

The IPCA said the influence was “most stark” in his letter to the IPCA on 22 October 2024 and in his meetings with staff on 30 October and 4 November 2024, during which he “sought to bring a serious criminal investigation to an unduly rapid conclusion so that it did not impact on a job application process”.

‘I acted in good faith’

In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, Coster said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report.

“I regret the impact on the young woman at the centre of this matter and sincerely apologise to her for the distress caused.

“I accept that I was too ready to trust and accept at face value Deputy Commissioner McSkimming’s disclosure and explanations to me. I should have been faster and more thorough in looking into the matter.”

Coster acknowledged he should have more fully investigated the allegations when they were brought to his attention, “rather than assuming that their previous disclosure to senior Police staff a few years earlier would have resulted in an investigation if necessary”.

“It is clear that Police’s handling of the whole matter was lacking and that I was ultimately responsible for those matters. It was sobering to read of a number of missed opportunities which should have proceeded differently and more appropriately.”

Coster welcomed Sir Brian’s acknowledgement that the report made no finding of corruption or cover-up, nor did the IPCA find any evidence of any actions involving officers consciously doing the wrong thing or setting out to undermine the integrity of the organisation.

“I made decisions honestly. I acted in good faith. I sought to take all important factors into account with the information I had at the time. While it is not possible to alter past events, I am prepared to take responsibility – I got this wrong.

“I want to apologise to all members of the NZ Police. They work hard every day to keep our communities safe. I know they have been adversely affected by these events.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand