Gil Elliott. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Gil Elliott fears his daughter's murderer may kill again if given a chance at freedom.
Clayton Weatherston was a 32-year-old economics tutor at Otago University, who had taught and had been in a relationship with honours student Sophie Elliott.
The 22-year-old had left Weatherston and on 9 January 2008 was packing up her life to move to Wellington to take up a job at Treasury.
Weatherston arrived at her family's home in the Dunedin suburb of Ravensbourne armed with a knife.
He stabbed her to death so viciously the knife broke and Weatherston also used a pair of scissors in the frenzy.
At trial he tried to blame the attack on Sophie, claiming the partial defence of provocation.
Her death shocked New Zealand and Weatherston's antics at trial outraged the nation, leading to the partial defence of provocation being abolished by statute.
Gil Elliott said while Sophie's death was 18 years ago, it felt like little time had passed at all.
"The 18 years just seems to have gone by in a flash, quite honestly," Elliott said.
"It won't have for him, no doubt. It's probably been a bit of a grind for him, but too bad."
Now Elliott was facing the possibility of Weatherston being released on parole.
The now 50-year-old murderer would appear before the Parole Board for the first time on Friday.
"We don't have Sophie - it's terrible to think about it," Elliott said.
"She was such a lovely person too and she was absolutely innocent. There was no reason for him to do what he did to her.
"He didn't just kill - he butchered her. I mean 216 times, seven blunt force injuries, he must have bashed her as well. And then to mutilate her when she was dead."
Sophie Elliott. Photo: Gil Elliott
Weatherston had not acknowledged his guilt or offered an apology in his 18 years behind bars, Elliott said.
He was a narcissist and a danger to society, Elliott said.
"He's not necessarily going to be in there forever and a day. I mean, that's the problem with our system - he eventually probably will get out.
"So he didn't get a life sentence, did he? He got denied his freedom for 18 years, but it hasn't cost him a cent.
"It's cost our family a hell of a lot in emotional harm and financial harm as well. The taxpayer forked out all this money to give him a trial, allow him to appeal, and then lock him up."
Elliott said he feared Weatherston had parallels to Paul Wilson, who was also known as Paul Tainui.
Wilson spent more than 16 years behind bars for sexual assault and murder.
After being released on parole he raped and murdered another innocent woman.
Elliott met with the Parole Board on Thursday and raised Wilson's offending.
"I reminded the Parole Board of that particular case," Elliott said.
"I'm sure they don't need to be reminded - they let him out.
"Corrections didn't keep a close eye on him ... and he murdered again.
"There's no reason why Weatherston couldn't do exactly that same thing. So I said to them 'I just hope that if Weatherston gets out, he's not another Wilson'."
Weatherston's chances of parole were remote at this time, but Elliott said he was still concerned about the narcissistic killer being released - no matter how small the possibility.
He told the Parole Board if Weatherston was released he should have conditions on where he could live and visit.
"We don't want him to be in Dunedin. We don't want him to be in Christchurch - we've got family here. We don't want him to be on the West Coast - we've got relations over there. We don't want him to be in Auckland because we've got relations and family in Auckland. We don't want him to be in Whangārei as well.
"So, facetiously, I suggested they send him to the Auckland Islands."
Steeling himself and preparing for Weatherston's parole hearing had been draining for himself and his family, Elliott said.
"It's been emotionally draining, quite honestly," he said.
"I wrote a written submission and sent that in about two months ago, along with a lot of other people [who] have sent in written submissions.
"So it's almost re-victimisation. My two sons ... they wouldn't come to the hearing because they ... just couldn't go through that again.
"I did."
He told the Parole Board to decline parole and impose a postponement order, so Weatherston could not seek parole for several more years.
"The thing about it is it was Sophie that got the life sentence and our family," Elliott said.
"But he didn't because he can get out one day.
"He got 18 years because he defiled Sophie after she was dead.
"But, theoretically, he can be released.
"I'd hate to actually meet up with him. I really would."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
