Cellmate says Watson confessed

By Eugene Bingham

WELLINGTON - Scott Watson demonstrated how he forced a desperate Olivia Hope to submit and strangled the life from her, the High Court at Wellington heard yesterday.

The evidence came from a protected witness who also claimed Watson would wake screaming in the night in his prison cell, haunted by the two Blenheim friends.

Strict security measures were put in place and the public gallery was cleared for the evidence of the man and another witness to whom Watson allegedly made a jailhouse confession.

All details leading to their identities were suppressed, and Justice Heron warned the media that the security and safety of the individuals concerned could be involved.

Witness A told the court he and Watson shared a cell for several weeks in Addington Prison, Christchurch, while he was on remand for driving offences.

He said he became freaked out when Watson screamed in his sleep on two occasions.

"I said, 'Are those people haunting you?' He said, 'Yeah, mate.'"

One night when they were in their cells together he asked Watson if he had committed the murders.

"He said the bitch kept on punching and kicking him. He said she was fighting back heaps. He showed how he pulled her down."

Witness A then showed the court what he said Watson claimed to have done to Olivia.

He said Watson grabbed her around the top of her chest with one arm, held her arm with his other arm and forced one of his legs between hers.

Olivia was eventually strangled, he said.

The witness also told the court that Watson had confided in him about steps he had taken to clean his boat, and said he [Watson] was freaked out when police had found hairs on his boat.

"He said he was going to say it was planted."

Under cross-examination, the witness said he had lost count of how many times he had been to prison during the past 15 years.

He admitted to having convictions for burglary, assaults and robbery as well as to psychiatric problems which had required residential care.

Witness B said he and Watson developed a very good friendship in Addington Prison.

One night Witness B asked him whether he had committed the murders.

"He says, 'You know I can't tell you about that but I'm still having wet dreams about it'."

On another occasion, Witness B said he wished he could plug into Watson "like a video."
"[He replied] that I would have a ... good time."

One afternoon, the witness supplied Watson with some Valium tablets smuggled into the prison by a visitor.

After Watson had swallowed the tablets, the two of them walked around the exercise yard together discussing their personal problems.

"He admitted to killing Ben Smart and Olivia Hope and said, 'They got [nothing] on me.'"

Asked what Watson's mood was like, Witness B said: "I believed him."

Watson also allegedly said he had dumped the couple in Cook Strait where the sea lice would have destroyed the bodies.

Witness B said Watson and he had discussed selling his story to the media if he was found guilty. They made an arrangement that he would go to a lawyer, sell the story for $3 million, and split the money with Watson.

Defence counsel Mike Antunovic asked the witness what he had got out of giving evidence.

"This is a disadvantage, me being here, believe me," said Witness B.

Later, it emerged that he had been given the use of a car and a cellphone by police.

Charges against him were also reduced on the day he first spoke to police about Watson, but the witness said this was because of developments in his own case and had nothing to do with his making a statement.

After Witness B said he had come forward because he did not believe in hurting innocent people, Mr Antunovic went through his convictions, including numerous charges of assaulting his partner.

Later, Mr Antunovic challenged the witness' recollection.

Mr Antunovic: Mr Watson didn't make any confession to you, did he?

Witness B: That is what you are saying.

Mr Antunovic: He never said to you anything about having wet dreams, did he?

Witness B: Well, there's two of us who heard it.