Scott Watson, convicted of the 1998 murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, will remain in prison after the Parole Board determined he still poses an undue risk. The decision came after the board reviewed video footage of a violent assault committed by Watson while incarcerated.
Watson’s Parole Bid Denied After Prison Assault
The Parole Board viewed video of the assault and discussed it extensively during a meeting on Friday. After the man manages to get to his feet, another prisoner steps forward and punches the victim in the face. Although Watson claimed the incident was a “play fight,” Parole Board chairwoman Justice Jan-Marie Doogue described it as “very serious violence.”
Watson was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Hope and Smart, who disappeared after attending a New Year’s Eve celebration in the Marlborough Sounds. The pair were last seen stepping off a water taxi in Endeavour Inlet in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1998.
‘You Need to Stay Out of Trouble’
Justice Doogue stated Watson needs to work on a safety plan and “You need to stay out of trouble. We need to see you do that. You need to regulate your behaviours better than you have.” She called for further assessments of Watson and his risk factors, as well as more rehabilitative treatment regarding his attitudes towards violence and women.
The precise date of the violent incident captured on closed-circuit video was not disclosed, but Watson said it occurred around the time his unsuccessful appeal against his murder convictions was being heard by the Court of Appeal in mid-2024.
‘I Would Be in Prison Forever’
Parole Board member Jeremy Skipworth asked Watson what he thought would happen if he committed an assault in the community like the one on the video. “I would be in prison forever,” Watson replied. He said he was embarrassed by the assault and has developed strategies to avoid future trouble, stating, “I will always be polite, respectful and just zip it.”
Watson’s counsel, Kerry Cook, said Watson is seeking a “concrete pathway” forward with a plan towards release, adding, “The punishment period of his imprisonment is over.”
Watson will next be seen by the board in November 2026.
Hope, 17, and Smart, 21, had left in a water taxi with a lone man, who offered them a place to sleep on his yacht. They have not been seen since. Watson was later identified by the water taxi driver and a bartender as the lone man.
Case Referred to Court of Appeal
In 2020, the convictions were referred to the Court of Appeal to determine whether a miscarriage of justice may have occurred. The appeal court upheld the convictions last September, finding that Watson’s trial was fair and the evidence presented was consistent with his guilt. The court focused on evidence regarding hairs found on Watson’s boat and the identification of Watson as the lone man by witnesses.
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