Lawyers told of Watson perjury

By ALISON HORWOOD and EUGENE BINGHAM

Secret Witness A told a lawyer he had committed perjury at the Sounds double-murder trial just weeks after Scott Watson was convicted.

The lawyer wrote a letter on his behalf to Watson's legal team, Bruce Davidson and Mike Antunovic.

But despite Witness A telling at least two more lawyers, Mr Davidson and the police, it would take about 12 months for his claims of false evidence to be made public.

Last week the allegation of lies at one of the country's biggest criminal trials was revealed by the Weekend Herald. After being contacted by Witness A, two reporters flew to a secret location and taped an interview with the man.

He told the reporters that despite his damning evidence against Watson in the High Court at Wellington, the Picton boat-builder did not admit any part in the killings of Blenheim friends Olivia Hope and Ben Smart.

The man says police pushed him into giving false evidence - a claim now being investigated by the Police Complaints Authority.

Before going into court on August 20 last year he "had to train himself to believe something that was not real," he told the Weekend Herald.

He wanted people to know the truth to clear his conscience but was scared of returning to prison on perjury charges.

A relative of Witness A told the Herald last night a lawyer was looking after his interests. He has apparently not been in contact with police.

The man, who has a history of extensive criminal activity and mental health problems, was arrested on unrelated theft charges last week and is due to appear in a district court tomorrow.

Mr Davidson has confirmed he received a letter from a lawyer acting on Witness A's behalf late last year, not long after Watson's conviction in September.

Early this year, Witness A also wrote to him from a North Island prison, where he was on remand for unrelated charges. Mr Davidson and a private investigator travelled to see him, but did not take the matter any further because he was not clear in his allegations, would not agree to a taped interview or sign an affidavit.

He also refused to sign documents with other lawyers. One of them told the Herald she found him credible, but someone with a general mistrust of anyone in authority.

Herald Online feature: The Sounds murders