Photos only a part of 'overwhelming' case against Scott Watson, Crown says
Crown lawyers defending the conviction of Scott Watson in New Zealand's Supreme Court argued that a disputed photo montage is only a minor element of an otherwise overwhelming body of evidence. Watson is appealing his 1999 conviction for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.
Why it matters
High-profile criminal appeals involving historical murder convictions test legal standards around eyewitness identification and evidence admissibility.
Crown lawyers in the Supreme Court today say a photo montage at the heart of Scott Watson's appeal is only one piece of evidence in an "overwhelming" case against him.
Watson is appealing his conviction for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope in Marlborough Sounds on New Years' Day in 1998.
His lawyers argue the evidence of water taxi driver Guy Wallace - used in the original trial - who picked out Watson in "Photo Montage B" as the man seen boarding a boat with the young pair, is inadmissible.
Crown lawyer Madeleine Laracy said the Crown always relied on a "large volume of evidence" - not just a photo montage.
Laracy referred to the Court of Appeal's judgment in 2024 - which rejected a previous bid by Watson to quash his convictions.
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