Kay Sinclair

Michael Swann has abandoned his appeal against the length of the non-parole term set for his $16.9 million fraud against the Otago District Health Board.

The Weatherston family gave an emotional statement outside the High Court at Christchurch after Clayton Weatherston was found guilty yesterday of the murder of Sophie Elliott.

The pivotal issue for the jurors deciding whether Clayton Weatherston was guilty of murder was whether the defence of provocation had been excluded, Justice Judith Potter said yesterday.

The 11 jurors hearing the trial of former University of Otago academic Clayton Weatherston for murder were allowed to go home last night, four hours into their deliberations.

Clayton Weatherston made a deliberate, calm and premeditated decision to kill or mutilate Sophie Elliott, either before he went to her house or shortly afterwards, the jury hearing his trial on a murder charge has been told.

The Crown has been challenging aspects of defence psychiatric evidence in the trial of Clayton Weatherston for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Sophie Elliott, early last year.

Clayton Weatherston's "significant lack of empathy or remorse" over the killing of Sophie Elliott were apparent to a psychiatrist who interviewed him in prison in May last year, the High Court in Christchurch heard yesterday.

All evidence in the murder trial of former University of Otago economics tutor Clayton Weatherston has now been completed in the High Court at Christchurch.

Aspecialist psychiatrist has given evidence murder accused Clayton Weatherston was not mentally ill when he stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death in January last year.

Dunedin honours student Sophie Elliott died from blood loss after she was attacked in her bedroom by her ex-boyfriend, the High Court at Christchurch heard yesterday.

Clayton Weatherston appeared calm, reserved and in control of himself when he unlocked the door of the bedroom where he had just stabbed Sophie Elliott to death, a police officer said today.

Clayton Weatherston has resumed his evidence in his High Court trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Sophie Elliott in January last year.

Two highly experienced psychiatrists will be called by the defence to describe Weatherston's complex personality characteristics which rendered him unable to cope with the situation which confronted him in Sophie Elliott's bedroom that day.

A complimentary letter he wrote to Sophie Elliott in August 2007 had been overstated ''to ensure a good outcome'', murder accused Clayton Weatherston said today.

Sophie Elliott was clearly dead when he dragged her body from the corner of her bedroom where he had attacked her, murder accused Clayton Weatherston agreed in cross-examination yesterday.

He realised he must have used a knife on Sophie Elliott when he saw a cut on his hand, the man who killed the young honours student in her bedroom told Justice Judith Potter yesterday.

Murder accused Clayton Weatherston has told the Christchurch High Court today Sophie Elliott saw herself as Elizabeth Bennet and him as Mr Darcy.