Scott Beard
Detective Inspector Scott Beard is a senior police officer in New Zealand known for his leadership in high-profile criminal investigations. He gained media attention for his role in overseeing the case of Jesse Kempson, who was convicted of the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane. Beard has been vocal about the challenges posed by name suppression laws in the digital age, highlighting the difficulties of enforcing such laws when information can be rapidly shared on social media and the internet.
Not in the pool (under ¢1).
Recent news mentions
Detective Inspector Scott Beard is involved in the investigation of a daylight attack in Mt Wellington.
Mt Wellington daylight attack: Second man arrested in relation to alleged stabbing
New Zealand· 2025-12-08Detective Inspector Scott Beard commented on the nature of the attack and the police investigation.
Mt Wellington daylight attack: Man, 21, charged with murder after deathNew Zealand· 2025-12-07
Detective Inspector Scott Beard stood by the police decision not to prosecute in Graham's case.
Auckland man loses $11.5k in account transfer error, wages five-year legal battle to identify wrongful recipientNew Zealand· 2025-07-05
Detective Inspector Scott Beard said a post-mortem examination was carried out on the baby yesterday.
Hutt Valley baby girl suffers multiple fractures, police investigatingNew Zealand· 2025-07-03Scott Beard is a top detective who warns parents about the dangers of putting their kids online.
Top detective Scott Beard’s stark warning to parents: ‘Don’t put your kids online’New Zealand· 2025-06-17
Beard is backing a hand signal campaign to help prevent child sex abuse.
Top detective Scott Beard and partner Gloria Masters backing hand signal campaign to help prevent child sex abuseNew Zealand· 2025-05-31
Scott Beard was the lead detective on the case of Grace Millane.
No DNA, no CCTV, no chance: The 50-year hunt for what really happened to Mona BladesNew Zealand· 2025-05-31
Detective Inspector Scott Beard stated that police have thoroughly re-investigated the sexual assault complaints from 2004.
Kidnapped: Woman claims police bungled investigation into her alleged abductionNew Zealand· 2025-05-17
Beard is mentioned as a detective who featured in a previous documentary.
Steve Braunias: The second prosecution of Philip PolkinghorneNew Zealand· 2025-04-12
Detective Inspector Scott Beard announced the recovery of the stolen paintings during a press conference.
Crash’n’Grab: Was this NZ’s most outrageous art heist?New Zealand· 2025-04-10
The officer in charge of the case, Detective Inspector Scott Beard, was warning New Zealanders that it was a crime to identify the accused killer on their social media pages.
Name suppression laws: How it works and what could change - The Front PageNew Zealand· 2025-03-03
