It’s unusual to see paternity claims in court and published in the media, but a case brought against John Banks claiming he is the father of an Anthony Shaw. Shaw’s mother has just gone public supporting her son’s claim.
If Banks is Shaw’s father it’s sad to see him so strongly avoiding accepting it.
NZ Herald: Are you my father, Mr Banks?
In 2001, the year John Banks first became mayor of Auckland, anonymous letters were sent to various media organisations claiming he had fathered a child, “his 31-year-old son that he has ignored all his life since he was 3 years old”. Herald journalist Phil Taylor investigated at the time.
The mother who claims that her first-born was fathered by John Banks was a young nurse by the name of Pam Shaw. She was living in Hamilton when she became pregnant.
I saw her several times at her Mt Albert home in 2001 and 2002. Her married name is Pam Mayes. Mayes told me that Banks had been a travelling salesman for pharmaceuticals company Pfizer, that they had had a sexual relationship while she was not on the contraceptive pill and that she was not seeing anyone else when she became pregnant.
Mayes claimed that when she learned she was pregnant she told Banks but he did not want to take responsibility.
No father is named on (Shaw’s) birth certificate.
Mayes decided to tell her son who his real father is, and to tell Banks that he was a grandfather and ask him to acknowledge Antony. “I thought if he can be that upset at this stage of his life about not knowing his own father, I’m going to ask him to do something about Antony.”
Mayes told me that she met Banks at least twice – in a restaurant in Wellington and at a cafe at St Lukes shopping centre. She had also written to him about her plan to tell her family about her belief that Banks was Antony’s father.
Banks did not want her to tell, Mayes said, but he did not rule out seeing Antony.
“I had always accepted what my mother told me, that Harry was my father, but I never felt Chinese and I don’t have Chinese features,” Antony said.
“But if you line up John Bank’s photograph alongside mine, there is an unbelievable likeness.”
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I spoke to Bernard Shaw, an uncle Antony was close to. Bernard told me he had many conversations with Banks about it. The former police minister and Auckland mayor had said, claimed Bernard, that he couldn’t swear he wasn’t the father because he did have a sexual relationship with her.
Taylor interviewed Banks about it in 2001. Banks didn’t deny what Pam Mayes said about being the father, but warned Taylor.
Taylor: Can I ask you, is it wrong what she is saying?
Banks: No no no. I just want to say to you … just be very very careful. Seek some highly-focused, highly-placed legal advice. That’s all I want to say. Thanks for your time.
Last Thursday the issue appeared in court news: John Banks could prevent costly paternity case by taking simple DNA test, says judge
A judge says a simple DNA test could resolve a paternity dispute involving former Cabinet minister John Banks – and prevent a costly High Court trial.
The former Auckland mayor made no appearance this morning when the case had its first call in the High Court at Auckland.
Antony Shaw, 47, claims he is Banks’ son and he is asking a judge to declare that the controversial politician is his birth father.
If the case is successful, Banks could be declared Shaw’s next of kin with legal implications relating to potential claims against Banks’ will.
The court heard Shaw’s legal team, headed by Lowndes litigation partner Jacque Lethbridge, had encountered difficulties in serving documents on Banks, who they say has not engaged in attempts to resolve the claim.
Justice Tim Brewer…made the point that if Banks had been unaware of today’s hearing, media coverage since the story broke in this morning’s Herald meant the two-time Auckland mayor would now “know what’s going on”.
He added that a full High Court paternity proceeding would bring enormous costs. This could be prevented by a simple DNA test which could conclusively rule out Banks as being Shaw’s birth parent.
Today in Herald on Sunday: Mother of Banks’ alleged love child breaks her silence
In an exclusive interview with the Herald on Sunday, Shaw’s mother, Pam Mayes, said of Banks: “John is very silly. I think every child has the right to know who their parents are”.
Mayes claims she had a relationship with Banks when she was a Waikato Hospital nurse in the late 1960s. At the time Banks was a salesman for a pharmaceutical company.
Mayes told the Herald on Sunday the relationship initially ended when she found out she was pregnant.
If true that in itself is sad.
Mayes said she finally told Shaw about his biological dad after Banks revealed publicly the impact of not having a relationship with his own father in his Parliamentary valedictory speech in October, 1999.
Banks had said “No one knows better than I the crushing heartache of living with no mother and no father”.
Mayes, 69, only found out about her son’s paternity case after reading about it in the New Zealand Herald last week.
“I thought, ‘Oh, here we go – another kid has come forward’. I didn’t realise it was Antony till I read it”.
Mayes said she had been surprised neither her son, nor his legal team, had contacted her about the paternity case.
“I now regret I ever told Antony about John but back then I thought I was doing the right thing,” she said.
“He is my son. I love him and I will always be there for him. It’s a shame it’s come to this and I fear the opportunity to make peace has sailed away.”
The lack of contact between Shaw and his mother suggests all is not well in that relationship either.
Shaw’s lawyer, Jacque Lethbridge said her client also didn’t want to comment.
“These proceedings were filed at the end of last year, and despite being served in April with a full set of proceedings including the affidavit evidence, but he just hasn’t engaged at all.”
The next hearing in the dispute is set down for June 29.
If it is true that Banks is Shaw’s father – as looks likely by what has been claimed by the mother, and the likeness in appearance – then this may be more than just Banks avoiding responsibilities and contact as a father.
Banks has said he had a difficult relationship with his own father (and mother), and he may think that no relationship is better than a bad relationship.
It’s also possible that Banks has dug himself into an emotional hole – once he started to deny being the father or avoid conceding that he is the father he may be finding it hard to now admit that he could be.
There may be reasons for avoiding responsibility when the mother was pregnant but a farther shirking responsibility when a pregnancy results from a relationship normally is not good. Banks may now be unwilling to front up on this.
In 2001 Shaw was 31 so must have been born about 1970. Banks got married in 1987 and adopted 3 children from a St Petersburg orphanage.
There doesn’t seem to be any reports of Banks being a biological father apart from the Shaw claim.
Denying paternity is quite sad, for both the father and the child.
