Disgusting claim: Scott Watson support group accuses Gerald Hope of involvement in daughter Olivia’s murder

Senior members of the self-styled “Free Scott Watson” social media support group have made appalling comments accusing Olivia Hope’s grieving father of possibly being involved in her murder.

The group, which today opened a hotline so the public could phone them on 0800 379 111 to offer advice and tips, has found the freephone line overshadowed by the scandal.

Robyn Sullivan, the media spokeswoman for the 2,250-member group, launched a vicious attack against Gerald Hope on the group’s Facebook page:

“Gerald Hope is somehow involved in her disappearance and death and for some unknown reason was ok with it. All very bizarre and strange.”

Another member of the group joins in:

G I think Gerald Hope has miled this for everything he can get out of it. I wouldnt trust him with a 40ft barge pole. There is no consistency with statements he has made over the years If you compared him to Doug Blakie in the Lisa Blakie murder. Doug has always been willing to go out for the perperatators and he wants justice, he knows Timothy was stsitched up by Pope and his mates. There s a clear message here watch your backs, and watch what you say to friends and famiily because you never know when this could happen to you.

Like · 1 · October 24 at 12:13am · Edited

Robyn Sullivan

Robyn Sullivan I would agree G. It became clear to me today,that all that he has been doing, has been in order to silence people

Like · October 24 at 12:13am

G

G Robyn Sullivan I think Gerald Hope is a coward, and he uses the cowards way to get what he wants in life at the expense of others including The Watson family.

Like · 1 · October 24 at 12:14am

Robyn Sullivan

Robyn Sullivan I think the man is hiding a lot of secrets

 

Then another senior member, one of six “admins” of the Facebook page, Baz Mckenzie, did not intervene to correct the defamation of Gerald Hope but instead joined in:

“There is something wrong with G Hope agenda. As far as I know he has all information on the case and still now he is unsure or has doubt. If it was my child I would be all out to get the truth and gain closure. Sitting on the fence most certainly won’t achieve that.”

 

Investigative journalist Ian Wishart, who has written bestselling books on the Scott Watson case, says he is “absolutely sickened” at the mentality of people running the Free Scott Watson protest movement and says people need to decide whether they still want their names associated with it.

“I’ve dealt with some of them this year and in my view there are some who come across as deranged conspiracy theorists. But to accuse Gerald Hope of being mixed up in Olivia and Ben’s disappearance  is not just disgraceful – it absolutely sickened me when screenshots were brought to my attention this morning via a comment on the Stuff website.

“The makers of the “Doubt” docudrama are to blame for this. Director Yvonne Mackay and presenter Chris Gallavin in my view gave a provably false and discredited account of the Watson case, and in doing so they have whipped up public hysteria that’s causing insane, hurtful comments like this to be made against grieving families of murder victims. The Watson support group only had a couple of hundred members before Doubt came out…now every nutcase in the country has joined the group.”

Wishart urged intelligent people who had joined the Free Scott Watson page because of the “misleading and factually incorrect” docudrama, to decide whether they wanted to still be associated with a group so divorced from reality that it’s accusing Gerald Hope of being involved in Olivia’s death.

“How low can Scott Watson supporters go….not only do they ignore hard evidence of Watson’s guilt but now they’re implying an innocent father did it instead. There are no words to describe such people. Maybe people should ring their publicity freephone hotline – 0800 379 111 – and let them know what they think – politely of course.”

“If people want to see the facts that the Doubt programme forgot to mention,” said Wishart, “there’s a free video presentation of the evidence against Watson at www.scottwatsonfacts.com. Once they’ve watched both sides of the story, then they’ll be better placed to decide whether Watson is worth supporting.”

Facebook Thread transcript follows. Link to thread is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/109670334813/permalink/10154626048334814/?__mref=message_bubble

Robyn Sullivan Gerald Hope, in my opinion. He is playing a game, I believe. He strings people along with a line of “If you don’t displease me and refrain from discussing the Scott Watson case or pursuing it, I may just back Scott Watson and say I think he may be innocent.” Then he dithers, goes “Oh, I don’t know yet…maybe, maybe not…but don’t offend me”

Like · 7 · October 23 at 10:01pm

Hide 22 Replies

 

Morag McGoldrick Baillie Gerald Hope is a councilor, or was standing for council again? Not sure I have that right?

Like · 1 · October 23 at 10:42pm

Robyn Sullivan yep, is councillor on MDC now

Like · 1 · October 23 at 10:43pm · Edited

Cath Ellis What is MDC

Like · 1 · October 23 at 11:26pm

Robyn Sullivan Marlborough district council

Like · October 23 at 11:27pm

Cath Ellis I followed the case quite closely back in the day and I felt Gerald Hope behaved suspiciously as father of Olivia and as a public figure – was he the mayor at the time? So yr comment really joins the dots for me having suspicions about him back then.

Like · 2 · October 23 at 11:38pm

Robyn Sullivan yes he was mayor at time Cath Ellis. What was his behaviour that you thought was suspicious?

Like · October 23 at 11:39pm

Cath Ellis Couple of things. He didn’t behave as a father of a murdered child. I say this be cos I have had a child of mine murdered so I could judge from experience. Secondly he exerted his power as mayor over the uncertainty of what actually happened and things then were tied up really rapidly and Scott was accused

Like · 3 · October 23 at 11:47pm

Robyn Sullivan hmmm…very dodgy…three possible conclusions: (1) Olivia hope is still alive, and possibly overseas. Or (2) Gerald Hope was not bonded to Olivia, possibly a remote father and not involved in her upbringing. Or (3) Gerald Hope is somehow involved in her disappearance and death and for some unknown reason was ok with it. All very bizarre and strange.

Like · October 23 at 11:51pm

Cath Ellis Pope police chief who just retired seems to be part of the picture. He is renowned for stitching NZ murder cases together with wrongfully accused people

Like · 3 · October 23 at 11:57pm

G I think Gerald Hope has miled this for everything he can get out of it. I wouldnt trust him with a 40ft barge pole. There is no consistency with statements he has made over the years If you compared him to Doug Blakie in the Lisa Blakie murder. Doug ha…See More

Like · 1 · October 24 at 12:13am · Edited

Robyn Sullivan I would agree G. It became clear to me today,that all that he has been doing, has been in order to silence people

Like · October 24 at 12:13am

G Robyn Sullivan I think Gerald Hope is a coward, and he uses the cowards way to get what he wants in life at the expense of others including The Watson family.

Like · 1 · October 24 at 12:14am

Robyn Sullivan I think the man is hiding a lot of secrets. I base this only on what I’ve seen of him. But it’s a very strong impression.

Like · October 24 at 12:16am

Dann Weedman Thats been my view as well for a very long time…

Like · 1 · October 24 at 8:00am

Dann Weedman I. Fact right from the very first time i listened to him speaking, i felt very uneasy..
Im of the opinion that he was very unhappy with his daughters association with Ben,
Im of the opinion that he knows darn well that Scott is totally innocent……Im of the opinion that Pope and Gerald have a hidden secret regarding this Case.

Like · 3 · October 24 at 8:07am

Bob Osborne Didn’t think he became Mayor until after the event and trail ?

Like · 2 · October 24 at 4:13pm

Robyn Sullivan no at time he wasn’t mayor. I’m reliably told he was elected at mayoralty elections which occurred soon after, on sympathy vote for his loss.

Like · 2 · October 24 at 4:22pm

Baz McKenzie There is something wrong with G Hope agenda. As far as I know he has all information on the case and still now he is unsure or has doubt. If it was my child I would be all out to get the truth and gain closure.Sitting on the fence most certainly wont achieve that .Is he incapable of seeing there is absolutely no evidence to convict Scott.

Like · 2 · October 24 at 4:30pm