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CTV engineer Gerald Shirtcliff stripped of master's degree

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CTV engineer stripped of degree

3News NZ

Shirtcliff (pictured) is also being investigated by New Zealand police (file)

Shirtcliff (pictured) is also being investigated by New Zealand police (file)

The man who oversaw the construction of Christchurch’s CTV building, in which killed 115 people died during the February 2012 earthquake, has had his engineering degree revoked.

Gerald Shirtcliff, a convicted fraudster who is being investigated by New Zealand police, has been accused of falsely assuming the identity of former friend William Fisher and faking his engineering degree.

The University of New South Wales told APNZ today that they stripped Shirtcliff of his degree after an investigation into the claims.

The 67-year-old had used a stolen degree and identity to gain admittance to the University of New South Wales, where he studied towards a master of engineering science.

A spokeswomen for the Australian university said in a statement the investigation into the allegations against Shirtcliff were complete, and it would be revoking his degree.

“UNSW has notified Mr Gerald Shirtcliff, otherwise known as William Fisher, that it has revoked the degree of Master of Engineering Science in Highway Engineering awarded to William Fisher on 17 April 1974.”

Shirtcliff has a previous conviction for fraud in New Zealand, being jailed for 20 months in 2005 for GST fraud.

While Shirtcliff has continually denied wrongdoing, the New Zealand police probe into his actions continues.

  • Video: Gerald Shirtcliff’s web of lies

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    Comments

    27/11/2012 12:44:52 p.m.

    Observer wrote:

    Fair enough - however in relation to the CTV building what sort of justice would be fair for the so-called "professional engineers" from Christchurch City Council who signed off the building when it was built and other engineers who "Green stickered" the building, thereby proclaiming it safe for occupancy, after the first quake? NZ engineers should not get too smug about about Shirtcliff's punishment.

    27/11/2012 12:09:49 p.m.

    David Richardson wrote:

    Now he should face a law suit against him for the deaths of so many people.You could hardly call it a engineering misadventure,like many surgeons can get away through a medical misadventure and non right to sue,that is wrong for a person to be left with a ruined life,and those who are at fault left off.My wife is one of those who is now disabled through a Surgeons mess up,and it was called a medical misadventure by ACC.so she received nothing other than a piece of paper from ACC too that damage.