Stuff Audio

The Artful Dodger

Arts EN ↓ 7 episodes

Once the most revered philanthropist in New Zealand arts, James Wallace’s world started crumbling when a young man accused him of sexual assault. After the emergence of more victims and a six-year legal battle, Wallace was convicted of multiple crimes, no longer able to keep name suppression and stripped of his knighthood. The case raised major legal questions about the justice system, its treatment of abuse victims and name suppression laws. It also forced the arts sector to examine whether it had turned a blind eye to Wallace’s offending, in return for millions of dollars worth of patronage....

Author

Stuff Audio

Episodes

Trailer: Quarantine Nation 03.03.2026 4:03

A lethal virus. A drastic lockdown. A nation turned upside down. From the makers of acclaimed podcasts The Commune, True Story and Witi Underwater, this eight-part narrative series revisits the Covid-19 pandemic with the benefit of hindsight and powerful interviews. Adam Dudding and Eugene Bingham delve into what really happened – and what it taught us about ourselves. Subscribe to "Quarantine N...

Episode six: A deafening silence 07.05.2025 45:42

Wallace’s patronage provided critical support to emerging artists and major organisations alike. But did the community that so lauded him also protect and enable him? In the final episode, prominent figures paint a picture of a sector that was well aware of rumours about Wallace years before his victims went to police. They include Tom Sainsbury, who recalls the play he wrote about them in 2008. W...

Episode five: Wallace speaks 07.05.2025 27:53

In his first media interview since his convictions, Wallace reiterates his claims of innocence and outlines his next moves - in the legal system and the arts world. Warning: The Artful Dodger podcast contains references to sexual abuse. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand. Music included in this episode: Camille Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals: The Swan Erik Satie - Gymnopédi...

Episode four: Suppression, sentencing and survival 07.05.2025 52:21

The Wallace case raised significant questions about the New Zealand justice system. They included the application of name suppression laws, whether sexual assault victims need more support to survive a bruising legal process and the value of character references at sentencing. Letters from more than 80 people helped Wallace get a reduced sentence - but some now regret their support. Warning: The A...

Episode three: A long and bumpy road 07.05.2025 42:54

More than six years passed between Wallace first being charged by police and him losing his fight for name suppression. We chart a legal journey covering multiple trials and appeals, and examine the attempts to silence one of his victims - including the so-called Gold Coast Plot. Warning: The Artful Dodger podcast contains references to sexual abuse. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand...

Episode two: The unsuspecting guests 07.05.2025 46:46

Wallace’s world began to crumble after a complaint of indecent assault was made against him in 2016. The first accuser would be joined in court by two more men with similar accounts of what happened at Wallace’s historic mansion, Rannoch House. In a new interview, survivor Dom Shaheen reflects on the ordeal and its long-term impacts. Warning: The Artful Dodger podcast contains references to sexual...

Episode one: Portrait of a disgraced knight 07.05.2025 34:45

Before his criminal convictions became public, James Wallace was best known as a leading businessman who used his fortune to become the most revered philanthropist Aotearoa’s arts world had seen. But how did he reach the heights from which he was to fall? Warning: The Artful Dodger podcast contains references to sexual abuse. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand. Music included in this...