Sailor's diary said lodge 'had many nymphos'

By Eugene Bingham

A lone sailor who celebrated the New Year when Olivia Hope and Ben Smart disappeared made a note in his diary that Furneaux Lodge had "many young nymphos."

David Brian Craig told the Scott Watson double-murder trial that he spent the evening ashore drinking three beers and chatting to people before retiring to his boat on his own about 12.30 am.

In a diary entry read to the court by defence lawyer Mike Antunovic yesterday, Mr Craig described the evening as: "A good lively crowd. Many young nymphos."

Asked about the entry, Mr Craig said he had found there were many young people at the lodge, "school kids."

Mr Antunovic: But the word you used was nymphos.

Mr Craig: Yes.

Opening its case, the Crown told the jury that Watson stood out because he was on his own at the celebrations and made sexually suggestive approaches to women.

Mr Craig was one of the hundreds of people on board the more than 100 boats moored off the lodge. He was among the witnesses the Crown called to give evidence about their movements, and to tell the jury if they had noticed an unusual ketch initially thought to be connected to the pair's disappearance.

The Auckland-based yachtie told the court he sailed from Whangaparaoa with two others in December 1997 on the 40-foot ketch Waves, which he built himself.

His crew left as arranged when they arrived in the Marlborough Sounds.

Mr Craig said he travelled to Endeavour Inlet on December 31 and went ashore to the lodge about 8.30 pm.

He said he spoke to a particular group of people at the bar most of the evening and went back to his boat about 12.30 am.

Before going ashore, Mr Craig noticed Tamarack, the yacht upon which Olivia Hope travelled to the area with a group of young friends.

He noticed a young "lass" standing on the bow with a wineglass, and also saw a group of young people on shore.

Under cross-examination, Mr Craig said he watched the people on Tamarack being ferried to shore late in the afternoon.

He said Tamarack drifted quite close to his boat during the night.

In the morning, he left the inlet about 10.30 and spent the next two nights at Resolution Bay before travelling around the top of the South Island.

About January 20, he heard from another yachtie that the police wanted to speak to him, and made contact with the inquiry team two days later.

A Blenheim charter-boat operator, Hamish Todd Young, told the court he was anchored off the lodge with his daughter and a group of 10 young people who had chartered his yacht to travel to the inlet for the night.

Mr Young said he made sure everyone was safely back on board the yacht before heading for bed about 3.30 am.

About 5.30 am, he woke up and wanted to check everyone was safe and that no one was sleeping on the deck.

He went up on deck and heard a male voice yell from the direction of the lodge.

"It was perfectly calm, quiet, and I heard a very loud yell which was quite unnerving. It seemed to be cut off."

Asked by prosecutor Nicola Crutchley if it sounded like a party noise, Mr Young said: "No."

Ronald Jack Strong, of Palmerston North, said he was ashore with two friends until about 2.20 am.

Under cross-examination, he said he noticed a man annoying women at the lodge with crude behaviour. At one stage, the man had said to one woman: "I'll get into your pants before the night's out."

Mr Strong agreed with Mr Antunovic that he had described the man as in his 30s with a solid build, with a brown beard that had grey flecks through it.

The owner of Furneaux Lodge, Richard Anthony McLeod, told the court he had spoken to hundreds of people during the celebrations, but he could not recall talking to Watson.

Mr McLeod said he did not know Watson, although he had met Watson's father while his fishing boat was being built at Carey's Boat Yard in Picton in 1994.