You sometimes do not realise who your friends are until you have your back to the wall.

People that I had thought were friends like Rae Varcoe, Graeme Dennison and Joan Chapple had teamed up with Cedric to initiate a campaign to drive me out of my home and out of Karaka Bay. My kindness was repaid with treachery.

Visitors attempting to get to my house were subjected to death threats, just as I was, and they became completely confused by the abuse which was hurled at them. It was an astonishing display of the depths of degradation to which human beings will sink when they are consumed by hatred.

It felt very lonely heading off to court to defend myself against all those who had relied on me to help them and support them over the years. I was amazed however to find that I did indeed have one friend who had not deserted me. Graham Strez.

Graham turned up in court just to let me know that when you are fighting for justice you are not alone.

Graham was a person of such integrity that he restored your faith in humanity just when it had been shaken to the core.