About the Author

Keith Hunter

Keith Hunter has been a broadcaster since 1966, when he joined the then NZBC with a bachelor's degree in music and languages (Latin and German) from the University of Auckland. Initially he was a daytime broadcaster, researcher on the Town and Around magazine programme, and an evening musician, principal trumpet and occasionally an assistant conductor of the Symphonia of Auckland, predecessor of today's Auckland Philharmonia.

Since his first award for investigative reporting in 1972, he has directed television current affairs, documentary and drama, including the first and several later episodes of the revered Mortimer's Patch, for the first two series of which he also produced and co-wrote the incidental music. He has worked on a variety of series, including the police drama Shark In The Park, the comedy Letter from Blanchy and the documentary series Heartland.

A freelance film-maker since 1986, he has won awards for both drama and documentaries focusing on legal issues, notably The Remand of Ivan Curry for 1991-92, about a deaf  man imprisoned on remand for two years for an alleged murder which in fact was an accidental death caused by someone else; Out of The Dark, on the brilliant police hunt for the 'South Auckand Rapist', Joseph Thompson, in 1996; Staunch, a one hour drama based on a true story about a young girl harrassed by the police, for which he was awarded in 2001 both as director and as co-writer, and which also won editing, actor and actress awards; and Murder On The Blade?, best documentary for 2003-4.

Trial by Trickery is his first book, written only because Murder On The Blade? failed to elicit a response from the 'System'. Where the film focused on Scott Watson's innocence, the book sets out in detail the devious techniques and misinformation the System used to put and keep him in prison for the rest of his life. It is unflinching in its attitude and pulls no punches. Many of the 600,000 who viewed and appreciated the film reported they were puzzled by the official silence that greeted it. The book offers a reason for the silence. It is deliberately a sequel that cannot be ignored.