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Prosecution Opens Case. New evidence of taped conversations entered as Crown exhibit
Nicola Crutchley made the opening statement of the case for the prosecution today, stating that “two hairs and 176 scratch marks on a hatch cover from Scott Watson’s yacht are crucial pieces of evidence”.
New prosecution evidence of secret tapes of bugged telephone calls will be produced in the Crown’s bid to win a conviction against Scott Watson. This evidence was not presented at the preliminary hearing. Three warrants allowing police to intercept and tape communications and a metal box of audiotapes was presented to the court as a Crown exhibit. It has not been revealed as to whom the taped phone conversations were between or what the tapes contents are.
After the New Years Eve festivities, Ben and Olivia had gone back to their own boat, the Tamarack, but had been unable to find a place to sleep as it was already overcrowded. The crown case is based on the identification of Scott Watson as the man who offered friends Olivia and Ben a berth for the night on his yacht.
They had, according to testimony from the water taxi driver, Guy Wallace, decided to go ashore to sleep so then got back into the water taxi. At that point the man whom the prosecution identifies as Scott Watson made his offer of a place to sleep.
Guy Wallace stated in police interviews that he then dropped off Olivia, Ben and the unidentified man at a two-masted ketch. Following a thorough police search ending with no success in locating a ketch matching Wallace’s description - it is the Crown’s case that the mystery vessel was in fact the Blade, the one-masted ketch owned by Scott Watson. The police lifted Watson’s ketch from the water for examination 12 days after the disappearance, and the Crown stated today that some time after the disappear
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| two hairs and 176 scratch marks on a hatch cover from Scott Watson’s yacht are crucial pieces of evidence |
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ance the original reddy-brown colour of the boat had been changed to blue, and the interior had been thoroughly cleaned. Additionally, a squab to one of the seats was missing and two other squabs had pieces of foam missing out of them.
A man matching Watson’s description had been in the bar at the Furneaux Lodge earlier in the evening and evidence will be presented that he was making lewd and suggestive comments to women during the festivities.
Scott Watson in interviews with police has always maintained his innocence. He says he had been partying until around 2am New Years Day. He went back to his ketch alone and left the area around 7am to go to Eire Bay in Tory Channel.
The Crown case will rely heavily on the scientific testing that was undertaken on the two blonde hairs found on a blanket on Scott Watson’s ketch. The tests strongly support the contention that the hairs belong to Olivia Hope. Crutchley also stated today that the finding of the bodies of Ben and Olivia was not necessary to prove their murder.
Case proceeding……..
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Prosecution opens case against Scott Watson |
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