Prosecution calls Weatherston a liar

Weatherston admits manslaughter but says he was provoked into stabbing Sophie Elliott 216 times. Photo / The Press, Pool

Clayton Weatherston has denied lying to put a former girlfriend he killed in a bad light and to add more weight to his version of events.

The former Otago University economics tutor was today questioned about his accounts of being assaulted by Sophie Elliott and what he perceived to be emotional abuse in his relationship with her.

Prosecutor Robin Bates told Weatherston he had put his own spin on events, and was saying things to the court yesterday that had never been heard before.

Weatherston told him: "You're saying if I don't tell you absolutely everything from the get go, I'm making stuff up, so I have to be exhaustive as I can, and that's going to take a very long time".

Weatherston, 33, is on trial for the murder of Miss Elliott, 22. He admits he is guilty of manslaughter, but says he was provoked by Miss Elliott, and lost control when he stabbed and cut her 216 times.

He has previously stated Miss Elliott was more forward and flirtatious than anyone he had encountered before, and he felt a bit enslaved by her, and was ill-equipped to handle the relationship they were in.

Mr Bates: "What you have been suggesting, in terms of Sophie, is that all of a sudden along comes this young woman and you're helpless in the face of her advances, and somehow taken in and can't get out?"

Weatherston: "Well, that's to do with personality. Am I suggesting I was helpless? No."

Mr Bates put to him that despite being aged 31 and having life experience when he started going out with Miss Elliott, he was suggesting he could not get out of the relationship or handle it, when that was just not correct.

Weatherston: "I disagree with everything you said. Strongly actually."

Mr Bates then put to him that he had made Miss Elliott out to be promiscuous, when his "list" was "as bad if not worse".

Weatherston said Miss Elliott would discuss other men she had slept with, and he had criticised for infidelity when she was on a holiday in Australia.

"I haven't talked about her promiscuity whatsoever," Weatherston said.

"And I'm not suggesting that she was promiscuous."

Weatherston said Miss Elliott had told him of an incident where she had attacked a former boyfriend after he criticised her friends, and she scratched his face and "lost it really".

Mr Bates put to him that he had added details onto the account, of Miss Elliott also kicking and punching the former boyfriend, which were not true.

Mr Bates: "It's another example of you making things up to paint her in a bad light".

Weatherston said there may have been two occasions involving the former boyfriend that Miss Elliott had recounted to him.

Mr Bates: "You have just added on the kicking and punching because you wanted to portray that as something she would do to you at a later stage. It's as simple as that. You're simply lying".

Weatherston: "I completely disagree with you".

Weatherston had also given evidence of Miss Elliott kicking, punching and kneeing him in bed when he had not wanted to have sex.

Mr Bates: "She probably gave you a knee in the back?"

Weatherston: "It was more than a knee in the back......it was quite a few knees in the back, ah, kicks and punches like that, so, um, it was more, I was more embarrassed than anything else."