Former top cop Andrew Coster told watchdog to back off from McSkimming case

Then-Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told the Independent Police Conduct Authority that its intervention into the Jevon McSkimming case was against the principles of natural justice and risked making him more of a victim than he already was.

The letter from Coster to the IPCA is revealed in more than 200 pages of correspondence released today by police under the Official Information Act.

The tranche also includes internal emails within the police hierarchy showing the strong push-back, two years ago, highlighting to their superiors how proper police procedures were not being followed.

McSkimming was found guilty of possession of objectionable material and, in December 2025, was sentenced to nine months’ home detention. It was a steep fall from grace for the former Deputy Commissioner of Police, who at one point was in the running for the top cop job.

The fallout from the scandal also encompassed former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, who left his job as head of the Social Investment Agency following the failure of police to follow proper protocol, and the perception that they had protected their own at the expense of properly investigating a complaint from the woman known as Ms Z.

Coster wrote to Judge Kenneth Johnston KC, IPCA chair, in October 2024 after the IPCA had categorised the complaint into McSkimming as Category A, meaning it required an IPCA investigation.

This followed months of repeated requests from the IPCA to police for more information, noting that the authority should have already been alerted to the matter, and should have also been told why police had tried to close its internal investigation into McSkimming.

Coster’s letter included an extensive list of what he considered the key facts.

“Despite this extended history and opportunity for the Authority to set expectations of any Police investigation or commence its own investigation in this matter, it was only after receiving a request from the Public Service Commission for the interim Commissioner appointment process that the Authority decided to initiate a Category A investigation,” Coster wrote.

“I understand that the Authority considers Police did not share all of the relevant information that it should have (about some anonymous allegations made to Police 105 [non-emergency complaint). However, I would submit that:

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• “Those communications were not materially different to allegations that have been known to the IPCA for some time.
• “They were made anonymously and without any information that would properly support an investigation.
• “They were made as part of a course of conduct by [Ms Z] that amounts to criminal harassment, of which Jevon is the victim.

As a result of this investigation belatedly commencing, Jevon has missed out on the opportunity to be interim Commissioner, which otherwise he would have been.”

Former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii

Coster added that the IPCA may be increasing the level of victimisation for McSkimming.

“All of this is occurring whilst Jevon has not been advised of the nature of the investigation against him in terms of any substantive complaint or the allegations that are being investigated,” his letter said.

“This [seems] contrary to principles of natural justice. In summary, I am concerned that the Authority may inadvertently significantly increase Jevon’s victimisation from this pattern of harassment and do so in a way that will be irreversible in terms of his career.

“This is against the backdrop of an issue that has been visible for a very long time and was capable of being resolved long ago - indeed Jevon considered that it had been.”

Once the IPCA was involved, however, the integrity of the police investigation eventually unravelled.

How that came to be is also revealed in the documents, including an email in August 2024 to Detective Inspector Kylie Schaare, acting director of integrity and conduct.

‘Bypassed our usual complaint process’

A staff member at the IPCA told Schaare that he had recently been informed of the police investigation’s terms of reference, which meant the matter should have been referred to the authority.

“To date we have not received a referral. We are concerned that there appears to be a conduct investigation being conducted outside agreed protocols.”

Schaare forwarded the IPCA’s concerns to Chris de Wattignar, Deputy Commissioner at the time, who then left the force to work at the Civil Aviation Authority, from where he was placed on leave once his role in the mishandling of allegations into McSkimming came to light.

“The complaints being referenced below have not been progressed through our usual complaint process,” Schaare wrote to de Wattignar.

“I am not aware that we have ever spoken to the complainant, as we would in the normal course of events of this nature, particularly given how long ago it has been that this information has come to light.

“We do appear to have bypassed our usual complaint processes for quite some time and if there is an investigation of any sort occurring, it hasn’t been discussed with Integrity and Conduct, followed agreed process, nor is it noted in our system as would be expected to enable a notification to IPCA.”

She said the IPCA, along with a notification, would also like to know “what is currently occurring and why this hasn’t come through Integrity and Conduct and why they haven’t been notified”.

“They have been aware of the concerns for some time.”

He wrote back: “Does not seem to be as it was relayed. Evidently the investigation is into the complainant, who has been charged. Tania is speaking to [redacted] on another matter and will raise this one with her directly.”

The response prompted Schaare to push back.

“I can’t see ... that Police has ever conducted an investigation (following ASA [adult sexual assault investigation] guidelines) into the multiple ongoing complaints, which would usually include a preliminary interview, level 3 interview and referral for crisis support as a minimum.”

A young woman, Ms Z, alleged that former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming groomed her for sex at a sports club. McSkimming says the relationship was a mutual and consensual affair. Image / NZME illustration

There was a “potential reputational risk” if, in a trial, it came to light that “Police hasn’t treated her like we would any other victim raising similar concerns, followed our complaints procedures and done a thorough investigation to either corroborate her complaints or exonerate the person she is complaining about”.

The IPCA formally intervened in October 2024, sending Schaare notice that it had classified the incident as a matter requiring an IPCA investigation (Category A).

When she forwarded this on to de Wattignar, he sent it up the chain to Coster, who replied: “I’m keen to understand what material we provided to the IPCA late last week and how the request for that came about – could you please share the email trail on this with me? Speaking to the Judge [Kenneth Johnston KC, IPCA chair], he seemed to be of the view that there was something we should have shared with them earlier but didn’t.”

The subsequent timeline, provided by Schaare and forwarded to Coster, noted that Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Basham had asked for the police internal investigation into Ms Z’s allegations (Operation Herb) to be “closed off” three weeks earlier.

“I have sighted – and endorse – a memo (12 September 2024) from Detective Inspector [Nicky] Reeves [leading Operation Herb] recommending no further action at this time with respect to the matters between DC McSkimming and [Ms Z],” Basham’s email had said.

This led to pushback from Michael Webb, chief assurance officer, who said this couldn’t be closed because “these sensitive matters have been managed outside of the usual process”.

“There has been no capture of the initial complaints,” he added, saying a good starting point would be to ensure enough data was in the police case-management system so that, “even at this comparatively late stage ... we can put hand on heart that an appropriate business record has been created, and we can then respond appropriately if a professional conduct check is requested down the line”.

Schaare’s timeline also showed the IPCA, six days before intervening, had asked police for another update and again raised concerns that “this has not followed usual complaint processes involving Integrity and Conduct, nor have they [IPCA] been provided with the documentation relating to Op Herb and the decision making around it being closed. They have not had oversight of this ongoing complaint as would be expected.”

The timeline also notes a request that surfaced three police 105 complaints from a year and a half earlier: “appears these were sent to NCIG? [National Criminal Investigations Group] not Integrity and Conduct, all online complaints are usually routed to Integrity and Conduct”.

It was later, as police investigated McSkimming’s police devices, that the objectionable material was found, leading to his resignation in May last year before the investigation was complete.

The IPCA released its report in November last year, noting significant failings in the way police top brass handled the matter.

Derek Cheng is a senior journalist who started at the Herald in 2004. He has worked several stints in the press gallery team and is a former deputy political editor.