Killer was calm and in control, officer tells jury

A policeman has told Christchurch High Court that murder accused Clayton Weatherston admitted the killing of Sophie Elliot. Photo / Supplied

Clayton Weatherston appeared calm and in control after killing and disfiguring his ex-girlfriend and student, a court heard yesterday.

Police Constable John Cunningham made the observation when he found the former Otago University economics lecturer standing barefoot beside the bloodied body of Sophie Elliott. Weatherston says he was provoked and lost control when he stabbed and cut Miss Elliott 216 times.

But Mr Cunningham said in the aftermath Weatherston spoke to him in a "calm, normal tone" when he stated: "I killed her".

Asked why he did it, Weatherston told him: "The emotional pain she's caused me over the last year."

Mr Cunningham told the High Court at Christchurch he arrived at Miss Elliott's Dunedin family home to find her mother Lesley in the driveway and on the phone to police.

"She spoke to me and said her daughter was dead."

She directed him to an upstairs bedroom in the house where Mr Cunningham said he could hear slight movement inside. He appealed to the person inside to unlock the door or he would "kick it in". The door was unlocked.

Mr Cunningham said he considered pulling out his pepper spray, but decided he would face any aggression hand to hand.

"It would have been good to have a Taser," he said in a lighter moment, touching on the politics of New Zealand policing.

Mr Cunningham entered the bedroom and saw Miss Elliott on the floor with blood around her neck and torso, and a person - now known to be Weatherston - standing next to her.

"I said to this person: 'What have you done?' To which he replied: 'I killed her'."

"It appeared that he was in a normal state and was in control of himself." Mr Cunningham said he handcuffed Weatherston and checked Miss Elliott for a pulse, but found none.

Weatherston told Mr Cunningham he had used a knife, which was "probably under her", and in reference to a pair of scissors between Miss Elliott's legs: "I used them at the end."

Weatherston had blood on his face, arms and clothing. Asked whose it was, Mr Cunningham said he replied: "A little bit mine, mostly hers."

Detective John MacDade told the court Weatherston chose not to be interviewed that same day at the police station and contacted a lawyer.

He appeared lucid, coherent, calm and non-agitated, Mr MacDade said.