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A High Court jury in Wellington has found Senior Constable Keith Abbott not guilty of the murder of Waitara man Steven Wallace who he fatally wounded in an early morning encounter in April 2000.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours after a trial of two and a half weeks.
After the verdict Justice Chamber said it was a very important case as there were very few countries where a private citizen could bring such a prosecution against a serving police officer.
He also said that Constable Abbott and his family had suffered a great period of stress for two and half years but the verdict had vindicated his claim that he acted reasonably in self defence.
Speaking to the Wallace family, Justice Chambers said that the court expressed sympathy over the death of their son and brother.
Before the trial Abbott's defence had cost $400,000.
The Wallace family employed two high profile QCs to pursue the murder charge, mortgaging their house in the process.
Steven's father Jim Wallace said the not-guilty verdict was disappointing. He thanked the family's lawyers and the people of New Zealand for their support.
A Wallace family spokesman says the family will not appeal the verdict.
The Police Commissioner has described the acquittal as a defining moment for Keith Abbott and the police.
Rob Robinson says he is very pleased for Constable Abbott and his family that the drawn-out process is at an end, but is also mindful of the loss and continuing grief of the Wallace family.
Robinson says he is pushing for a law change to ensure there are no private prosecutions against police officers in the future.
"I believe that there are some opportunities and options available to government to consider whether there should be some differential protections for police officers acting lawfully, from prosecutions that may not be well founded in fact," he says.
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