Camper afraid to visit yacht

Jurors hear a witness describe his unease during a campground encounter with a drunk Scott Watson, reports ALISON HORWOOD.

WELLINGTON - Scott Watson's sister apologised for his drunk and rude behaviour when he fell into a stranger's tent a few days before New Year.

James Greer told the High Court at Wellington yesterday that Sandy Watson "had a lot of excuses" for her brother when they met the pair at the Momorangi camping ground, west of Picton, on December 27.

Mr Greer and his family were having a quiet drink when Watson stumbled into the tent, looking for a light for his roll-your-own cigarette.

He and his sister sat down for about an hour and had a few drinks.

"She had a lot of excuses for him and apologised for the way he was acting around," Mr Greer told the court.

Watson told the group six or seven times that his boat was called Mad Dog, and said afterwards :"F****** Mad Dog, f*** a dog on a chain."

Mr Greer, a Blenheim contractor, told the court he felt so "uneasy" when Watson asked him about his occupation that he lied.

"I basically told him I was on the dole."

Crown prosecutor Paul Davison, QC: Were you on the dole?

Mr Greer: No, certainly not.

Asked about Watson's response, Mr Greer replied: "He said everyone shouldn't have to work and should just live off the sea."

He said Watson had a finger missing on his right hand, probably his ring finger, and a dark-coloured tattoo on his wrist that became visible when he reached out and his sleeve slid back.

Mr Greer said he asked Watson how he lost his finger and he seemed "very concerned" that it had been noticed.

Sandy Watson had told the group her brother's yacht was untidy and she cleaned it up from "time to time."

Mr Greer said Watson spoke proudly of the yacht, which he had built himself in Picton.

The witness said he did not remember details of the boat, except that it was single-masted. Although no boating expert, he was surprised to hear Watson say he built it for only $12,000.

He said Watson talked about killing a shark while on the boat.

"He said he had a machete that he kept on the boat and he killed the shark with the machete."

Mr Greer said Watson told the group he was planning to sail to Tonga, and was looking for two people to crew and cook for him.

Watson had invited him to come back to his boat in the dinghy and have a look.

Mr Davison: How did that make you feel?

Mr Greer: Very uneasy.

Did you accept the invitation? - No.

Another witness, Reginald McManaway, skipper of Foam, told the court that when he tied up to the jetty at Furneaux Lodge on the afternoon of December 31, he noticed a scruffy man with a beard on the boat behind him.

He could not be sure whether the yacht was one or two-masted because the bow was pointing directly towards Foam. It was dark blue and had a varnished mast.

Mr McManaway said that about 9.30 that night, during the celebrations at Furneaux, he was sitting in his regular corner at the bar, which was known as "Reg's Corner," when he saw the same man walk in.

He was tall - about 6ft (1.8m) - with black hair and a beard, and wearing denim pants and a top which "looked like it needed a good wash."

"Several of us passed remarks about it," Mr McManaway told the court.

Under cross-examination from defence counsel Bruce Davidson, he explained how the scruffy man was terrorising people.

"It was all sex and things. He was leaning over the tops of girls and getting between them and the bloke."

The following day, his group left in the morning and he did not see the yacht again.

Another witness, Clifford Robertson, said he heard screams and yelling during New Year, but it sounded like people just "having a bit of fun."