Clayton Robert Weatherston was narcissistic and obsessive but had "no disease of the mind" when he stabbed Sophie Elliott to death, a psychiatrist told the High Court at Christchurch today.
Weatherston has admitted manslaughter but denied murder, saying he was provoked and could not control himself.
Dr David Chaplow, the first of three psychiatrists to give evidence, told the court Weatherston had difficulty taking criticism and had intense reactions with loss, an anxiety disorder and was reliant on his mother. However, he had " no disease of the mind at the time of the killing".
Weatherston's sense of self importance, fantasies, sense of entitlement and taking advantage of others for his own ends were all narcissistic responses, Dr Chaplow said.
He was controlling at the interview, and would not move on until he was ready to talk about another topic.
Weatherston had dissociated himself with the killing of Miss Elliott, had no feeling during the event and a patchy memory of it, he said.
Weatherston's former girlfriend had told Dr Chaplow that Weatherston would not forget anything he construed as an insult, that he would ruminate for hours and harbour things, and that he was obsessive and manipulative.
Dr Chaplow said Weatherston's mother told him her son ran late and was extremely untidy, and she would wash his clothes and tidy his flat for him.
Earlier, Weatherston told the court during questions from his lawyer, Judith Ablett-Kerr, QC, that Miss Elliott attacked him with a pair of scissors. As she did so, he rolled his ankle and his jandals came off.
He also lost his glasses and did not find them until just before a police officer entered the room.
Weatherston said they were close to the door and, when he put them on, he realised he had been cut with the knife he couldn't remember using.
He told the court that locking the door did not keep anyone in as it opened when the knob was turned. It only kept people out, and Miss Elliott usually locked it when she was in the bedroom with him.
Weatherston said he looked around the room once he had his glasses on and, in response to Justice Judith Potter's question of whether he had seen Miss Elliott, said he did not look directly at her.
Justice Potter: "So you wouldn't have observed the injuries to her body?"
Weatherston: "No, Ma'am."
Justice Potter: "You realised you had used the knife because you saw the cut in your hand?"
Weatherston: "It was the only reason I felt I had used the knife. I had a feeling I had used the knife because of the movements I had been making - the pushing away movement, a defensive push, an arcing motion. Pushing her away from me."
The knife was found broken and covered in blood after the attack, in which Miss Elliott was stabbed or cut 216 times. A bent and bloodstained pair of scissors was also in the room.
