[2][3][4] The crime and trial were covered extensively in the news media, and contributed to the government abolishing the partial defence of provocation in cases of murder.

[8] At around 12:30 pm on 9 January 2008, Sophie Elliott and her mother Lesley were at the family home in the suburb of Ravensbourne northeast of the city centre when Weatherston arrived unannounced, saying he had a farewell present.

A New Zealand Police officer, Constable John Cunningham, responding to a 111 call from Lesley found Weatherston locked in Sophie's bedroom.

[10] At the end of a week-long depositions hearing during May 2008 in the Dunedin High Court, Weatherston pleaded not guilty and was committed for trial by two justices of the peace.

[11] After a five-week trial the jury returned a verdict of guilty on 22 July,[3] and on 15 September Justice Judith Potter sentenced Weatherston to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years, saying she believed the killing was deliberate and controlled.

[12] The news media in November 2009 revealed that the victim impact statement of Sophie Elliott's father had been censored at the request of the judge, preventing him from addressing some of the claims Weatherston made during the trial.

Lithgow also argued that comments made by Law Commission deputy president Warren Young unduly influenced the Christchurch jury,[17] and challenged the use of photographs of the wounds Weatherston inflicted on Elliott as exhibits.

Crown prosecutor Cameron Mander opposed these arguments, pointing out that the jury had been directed to ignore media coverage of the case and that Young's attack on provocation could not be linked specifically to the Elliott murder.