Case against Ms Z, Jevon McSkimming’s accuser, in court
Friday, 12 December 2025
The woman known as Ms Z, whose complaints about former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming sparked turmoil in police ranks, was herself facing charges in court today.
Ms Z, now 30, has pleaded not guilty to posting emails that caused serious emotional distress to the victims.
Her name has been suppressed, along with the names of the alleged victims, and she was not at the Wellington District Court on Friday.
Her lawyer, Steven Lack, has previously said he will ask for the charges to be dismissed.
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In court on Friday, Lack said he intended to argue that continuing the prosecution was an abuse of process.
He had private investigators looking into the adequacy of the investigations concerning Ms Z and McSkimming, but so far police officers who were approached had declined to co-operate.
An Independent Police Conduct Authority report had criticised the investigations.
Lack was also seeking disclosure of more information through the normal court process.
He said her case for suppression was based on sexual offending complaints she had made against McSkimming. While no charges had been laid in respect of those complaints, suppression would have been automatic for a complainant if charges had been laid.
The lawyer for the Crown, Ian Murray, said the Crown did not oppose suppression for Ms Z.
Murray is an independent lawyer who previously worked as a Crown prosecutor.
The case against Ms Z was adjourned for another hearing for issues to be resolved before a full hearing next year.
McSkimming, 52, is due to be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to possessing objectionable material of child exploitation and bestiality using work devices over more than four years.
He was suspended a year ago and resigned from police in May, with Police Minister Mark Mitchell saying the resignation came before McSkimming could be dismissed.
Ms Z had originally faced a charge of posting digital communications that caused harm in respect of McSkimming but that charge was withdrawn in September after McSkimming reportedly said he did not want to give evidence in the case.
Then last month, with the release of the damning Independent Police Conduct Authority report looming, several suppression orders were removed, clearing the way for the report’s release.
The IPCA found police did not appropriately handle Ms Z’s complaints against McSkimming. It recently confirmed it was also looking into the circumstances of Ms Z’s arrest.