Weatherston tells jury of blurred memories

Weatherston told the court Sophie Elliot accused him of trying to rape her. Photo / The Press, Pool

Clayton Weatherston says he was scared and hyped when he stabbed his ex-girlfriend with a pair of scissors, but could not remember much about the attack.

The former Otago University economics lecturer told a High Court jury in Christchurch he remembered Sophie Elliott coming at him with the scissors, losing his glasses and falling over her, and then standing or kneeling over her with the scissors in his possession.

Asked by his lawyer, Judith Ablett-Kerr, QC, if he went to Miss Elliott's home on January 9 last year intending to kill her, he said: "Absolutely not".

"It's the last thing I would have expected to happen. And it's the opposite of what my goal was when I went there."

Weatherston said he was talking to Miss Elliott in her bedroom, and trying to resolve issues and leave with the moral high ground, when he queried her about her infidelity on a holiday to Australia. The atmosphere went from "civil" to hostile.

"What I said to her is 'I'm not going to ask, but I feel entitled to know, did you use protection during your tryst because I don't want to give [name suppressed] an STD'," Weatherston said.

"She didn't react very well to that.

"The next words that I heard from her, that I could understand, were 'f*** you Clayton'."

Weatherston said he picked up his laptop bag to leave and as he did so Miss Elliott picked up the scissors from the floor.

"I just recall her coming at me with the pair of scissors from my left side.

"This happened very quickly. I remember trying to block her and I remember her hitting me around the face with her other hand."

Weatherston lost his glasses and was "just scared and hyped".

He reached up to grab Miss Elliott around the neck.

"I just remember a lot of noise and pushing forward into her to push her away.

"I have memories of being very disorientated, of falling on top of her."

Weatherston said he could recall a certain movement, possibly a pounding movement, and "a lot of noise".

His next most vivid memory was the crunching sensation as he stabbed Miss Elliott with the scissors.

"It's not a sound, it's a feeling. It's quite vivid."

Weatherston said he paused and leaned back on the bed and felt around for his glasses.

He had a "slight moment of sobriety" when looking at Miss Elliott, and felt she was probably dead.

Asked by Mrs Ablett-Kerr if he remembered using the knife on Miss Elliott, he said he did not, "but in saying that I had noticed the knife".

He said the knife he had when he visited Miss Elliott was one he carried for protection.

Weatherston said he did not remember Miss Elliott's mother forcing her way into the bedroom during the attack, nor locking the bedroom door.

He remembered a policeman coming in, and being told to lie on his front, and having difficulty breathing, before being taken outside where he felt safe.

Asked by prosecutor Robin Bates if he expected the jury to believe he was telling the truth, Weatherston said: "The jury can believe what they want. I just want to explain the situation. That's what is in my control. Convincing other people, that's not in my control."

Weatherston will continue giving evidence today.