Scott Watson

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Scott Watson
Born (1971-06-28) 28 June 1971

Scott Watson (born 28 June 1971) is a New Zealander who was convicted in May 1999 of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope on his boat Blade on 1 January 1998. The bodies of Smart and Hope have never been found. A sonar search of the entrance to Tory channel, an area of interest to the investigating police, found "there is no indication that the missing remains of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope are present or visible on the sea bed inside the search area".[1]

Watson is serving a life sentence with a non-parole period of 17 years[2] and is expected be released on 8 July 2016. The New Zealand Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by Watson. In 2003 Watson's lawyers Mike Antunovic and Greg King applied to the Privy Council, it found no grounds for further appeal.[3] Watson is applying for a royal pardon.[4]

Disappearance of Smart and Hope

On the morning of 1 January 1998, two young New Year’s Eve partygoers disappeared. Ben Smart (21) and Olivia Hope (17) had attended an all-night party to see in the New Year at Furneaux Lodge, in Endeavour Inlet, in the Marlborough Sounds, at the northern point of the South Island of New Zealand. They were reported missing by Gerald Hope, Olivia’s father, on Friday 2 January. No sightings of them had been made since the early hours of 1 January. Initially, their disappearance was treated as a missing persons enquiry.

Murder arrest and conviction

Scott Watson was arrested for the murders on 15 June 1998, two weeks before his 27th birthday. He had 48 prior convictions,[5][6] mainly from when he was a teenager, for burglary, theft, cannabis offences, two of possessing an offensive weapon, and one of assault when he was 16. He had been imprisoned for two short periods in 1989 and 1990. He had just one minor conviction in the eight years leading up to 1998.[7]

He was tried and convicted of the murders in May 1999 after an 11-week trial.[8]

Appeals and controversies

The defence appealed Watson’s conviction, and the case went to the Court of Appeal in April and May 2000. Three Appeal Court judges heard submissions from both the prosecution and the defence, but decided there was no new evidence to recommend a second trial.[9] They disregarded the defence’s submission that the “two trip” theory had appeared “out of the blue” late in the trial.[9]

Questions have been raised about the manner of the police investigation, notably by Mike Kalaugher, who in 2001 published a book which was critical of the police methods used to obtain the conviction of Scott Watson, and by Keith Hunter, in a 2003 television documentary, and a 2006 book.

Having been turned down for an appeal to the Privy Council, Watson wrote to the Governor-General of New Zealand in 2008, seeking advice as to obtaining a Royal Prerogative of Mercy. In 2009, the Ministry of Justice appointed Kristy McDonald QC to investigate the case as a result of Watson’s appeal to the Governor-General.

A 2010 report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority cleared police of allegations by Keith Hunter and Chris Watson. It found the police investigation had fallen short of best practice in areas which "had no significant bearing on the outcome of the investigation". No evidence was found that would support Hunter's other claims.[10]

Other events

Watson married Coral Branch in Paremoremo Prison in 2004.[5] They separated in 2007.[11]

In 2007, Watson was found guilty by a magistrate of assaulting another inmate in Paparua Prison. In 2008, his appeal against that conviction failed.[12]

References

  1. ↑ T.P. Grubb, Lieutenant Commander Royal New Zealand Navy, Operation Tam Maritime Assistance Post Activity Report of RNZN to Operation TAM, 22 September 2000.
  2. ↑ "Watson appeal goes to court". Television New Zealand. 4 July 2000. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  3. ↑ "Privy Council rejects Watson case". TVNZ. 
  4. ↑ Milne, Rebecca (15 March 2009). "Pardon plea from Watson". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Scott Watson's wife talks of her love". One News. 27 June 2004. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  6. ↑ http://www.presscouncil.org.nz/display_ruling.php?case_number=2029
  7. ↑ White, Mike (December 2007). "Sounds of Disquiet". North & South (261): 46–56. 
  8. ↑ "Murder, they said". The Listener (January 5–11, 2008 Vol 212 No 3530)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "The Queen v Watson". NZCA 46; [2003] NZAR 193. 8 May 2000. 
  10. ↑ NZPA (13 August 2010). "Report backs police handling of Marlborough Sounds murders". The Waikato Times. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  11. ↑ Cook, Stephen (28 October 2007). "Wife of Sounds killer to get jailhouse baby". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  12. ↑ "Scott Watson loses assault appeal". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 

Further reading

External links

  • Murder New Zealand
  • Trial by Trickery
  • Crime.co.nz- Operation TAM - Olivia Hope and Ben Smart
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