Court told of Weatherston's 'positive attributes'

Dr Chaplow told the court Weatherston was a 'vulnerable character' prone to narcissistic rage. Photo / The Press, Pool

Murder accused Clayton Weatherston has many good qualities alongside his narcissism and tendency to rage, a leading psychiatrist says.

Weatherston, 33, has admitted fatally stabbing and cutting his former girlfriend and student, Sophie Elliott, 216 times.

Psychiatrist David Chaplow said he found Weatherston to be a "vulnerable character", suffering from an anxiety disorder, who was obsessive and as a narcissist, prone to "narcissistic rage". He did not find the former Otago University economics tutor suffered any "disease of the mind".

"He does have many positive attributes as well," Dr Chaplow said.

Weatherston is in on trial in the High Court at Christchurch for murder. He admits manslaughter, but says he was provoked by the emotional pain he suffered, and Miss Elliott, 22, attacking him with a pair of scissors.

Dr Chaplow, New Zealand's director of mental health and a chief adviser to the Minister of Health, interviewed Weatherston after the killing and is giving evidence to the court in his defence.

Questioned today by prosecutor Marie Grills about whether Weatherston showed empathy, Dr Chaplow said a lot of good qualities could be seen in him, such as kindness, friendship and looking after students at the university where he was a tutor "and I think that is important".

Weatherston's narcissism operated within a context of him "being frustrated within that particular relationship, or being spurned or being threatened".

Dr Chaplow said Weatherston had displayed an inability to let go. Miss Elliott had eluded to this in terms of the pair breaking up and making up.

"In spite of advice from many quarters, he was unable to let go, wanting to have the last word, make his point by humiliation, and so we have the final tragedy."

Dr Chaplow spoke to Weatherston's mother, and found she loved him very much and held him in high esteem.

Weatherston was described as having a good circle of friends as he grew up, particularly in rugby circles, and having good relationships with males and females.

His mother had spoken of three long-term relationships Weatherston had been involved in, and "had always described her son as open when describing these relationships."

Questioned by Weatherston's lawyer, Greg King, Dr Chaplow agreed notes of counselling sessions Weatherston had with a psychotherapist read that Weatherston had problems in a relationship with a student, where he felt "powerless and controlled", had problems saying no, and found difficult people very hard to handle.