By Angela Beswick
Clayton Weatherston is appealing his conviction for the murder of Sophie Elliott.
The 33-year-old former Otago University tutor was found guilty of the murder of his former student and girlfriend after a month long trial. Weatherston stabbed Miss Elliott over 200 times in her own bedroom, mutilating her body, in January 2008.
He was given a life stenence with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years last month.
A Court of Appeal spokeswoman confirmed to Newstalk ZB that Weatherston's lawyers have today lodged an appeal against the conviction, The Press reported.
Weatherston's sister Angela Muir had previously said her brother would not appeal his sentence.
On the day of his sentencing, Weatherston’s lawyer, Judith Ablett Kerr QC told Christchurch High Court her client was sorry.
“He tells me he is sorry,” she said. “He saw no point in saying it himself as it would appear contrived.”
Ms Ablett Kerr said that Weatherston told her, “people don’t see me in my cell at two in the morning when I think about the horrendous thing that occurred.”
Whilst reading a victim impact statement at his sentencing, Miss Elliott’s father Gilbert described Weatherston as “the epitome of evil”.
Sophie’s mother Lesley Elliott said she hoped Weatherston could “hear her screams of agony ring in (his ears) as they do in mine.”
Throughout the trial Weatherston said he would admit a charge of manslaughter, not murder, with the defence claiming provocation.
3 News