KEY POINTS:
The father of convicted murderer Scott Watson has spoken of the son he knows - and not the "racist psychopath" described by those continuing to support the prosecution case against him.
Chris Watson is comfortable admitting his son is no saint but says targeted character attacks miss his essential character.
A Listener article this month claimed Watson's life was one of "dope, drink and the dole" and said he had 48 convictions to his name.
"It's pretty inaccurate," Chris Watson said. "It's got the grain of truth to it which is how the best lies work."
He said he'd "put his hand up" to Scott Watson's convictions, but said most were minor charges stemming from one particular time in his life.
"He didn't actually drink a lot and he didn't have much to do with dope after he got into trouble with it and got sent down."
But Scott Watson was also a worker, and like some his age - now 36 - had endured bouts of unemployment.
For a decade after he left school aged 15, the unemployment rate rocketed.
"Scott was working as much as he wasn't," Chris Watson said.
During periods of unemployment, Scott Watson spent time working on projects, including building Blade, the yacht by which he was convicted of murdering Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.
The yacht took a year to build and Watson had to learn welding and steelwork. "Once he sets his mind to something, he just gets in and does it," Chris Watson said.
"I'm proud of the way he has... carried himself through all this as well."
Chris Watson said his son had been subject to abuse and pressure from police well beyond the legal realms of their jobs.
"He sort of keeps calm and collected. He asks for advice and generally follows it. He's pretty soft and he's quite shy really."
