A man accused of attempting to murder his terminally ill mother by giving her morphine told a close friend on the morning his mother died that he had helped her die.
Ian Landreth, of Dunedin, told the jury in the trial of his long-time friend Sean Davison that on October 25, 2006 - the day she died - Mr Landreth asked Davison if he had helped his mother die, and Davison said yes, he had, Mr Landreth told the court.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Roger Laybourn he said Dr Davison was determined to end her life early, and mother and son were so close he did not think Davison would do anything against her will.
Two journalists then gave evidence of their interviews with Davison about his book on this mother's death.
One, former Herald on Sunday reporter Nicola Shepheard, gave evidence, after she was summonsed to do so, on her interviews with Davison about an original manuscript of his book, which she had received anonymously and which featured passages not printed in the final book.
The passages referred to Davison preparing to give his mother what he calculated would be a lethal drink of crushed morphine tablets, holding it up in front of her and telling her if she drank it she would die.
She told the court Davison verified the manuscript as authentic.
A recording of an interview with Davison was played to the court in which Davison, said one reason the passages were deleted from the final book was the possibility of legal action.
Another journalist, Mary Jane Boland, who was the deputy editor of the Listener at the time, said she asked Davison what things had been left out of the final book and why, and he said while he was reluctant to leave them out, he agreed to because: "There was a potential for prosecution, I'm not going to say what for by saying that I might open myself up for prosecution."
Earlier today, Davison's brother Fergus, speaking via a video link from London, told the court his brother had called him in the hours after their mother's death and told him he had given her too many morphine pills because she wanted to die.
Fergus Davison said he could not recall the exact details of the conversation on October 25, 2006, but that was the essence of it.
He also said his brother had told him that since he was charged with attempted murder his intention was to admit he had given her the pills.
The trial in the High Court at Dunedin is in its third day and is expected to go for two weeks.
