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The mother of murdered student Sophie Elliott says the legal process is taking a massive toll on the lives of family members.
Lesley Elliott gave evidence during last week's depositions hearing as University of Otago lecturer Clayton Weatherston was sent to trial charged with stabbing 22-year-old Sophie at
the Elliotts' family home in Dunedin in January.
Lesley Elliott said it was "traumatic" giving evidence once but the thought of having to do it again was "hideous". "It looks like we're looking at next year for the trial - so it's really hard for us.
"We feel our life is on hold. I don't know what moving on is going to be but we feel we could do something if we knew this was it."
The Crown alleges Weatherston, 32, stabbed or cut his former girlfriend more than 200 times in her bedroom while Lesley Elliott was at home downstairs. He was arrested at the scene.
Elliott said facing Weatherston at the hearing wasn't easy and she didn't make eye contact with him while she gave evidence. "I didn't see him at first. He was sitting down behind [his lawyer] Judith Ablett-Kerr. In some ways I was quite pleased. I didn't want to see him."
The four-day hearing at Dunedin District Court, which ended on Thursday, revealed details of Sophie and Weatherston's relationship. Elliott said she understood why the details had to be revealed. "I said I felt for Sophie. I wanted her to have some dignity." But she also said the slow pace in court helped her as a witness.
"I was able to reassure Sophie's friends. I said to them, 'It's not that bad, you don't have 12 jurors sitting in front of you'."
Former lawyer and MP Stephen Franks has slammed lengthy court cases for the way they affect victims and their families. In his blog, he said he spent several hours with the Elliotts after Sophie's brother Chris accepted her degree on her behalf last month.
Franks said the Elliotts had to endure four court hearings before the case even reached depositions stage - when the court decides there is a case to answer at trial.
He said the system was the work of "well-meaning, highly educated people who've become fools" and that the processes could be hugely simplified with no added risk of convicting the innocent.
As the Elliotts prepare for Weatherston's trial, they are taking Sophie's ashes on road trips. "We don't take her overseas or anything," said Elliott. "We take her in the car and talk to her and that sort of thing. I don't want to leave her at home."
At the end of the depositions Elliott said she wanted to "stand in front of him [Weatherston] and say to him, 'Have you looked at your family this week?'
"I think he has destroyed his own family. He's destroyed ours you know... and he's destroyed theirs. I just don't know how he can do it. "
