A man who claimed his cousin told him he helped John Beckenridge and his stepson disappear has retracted his allegation, in an astonishing twist in the Coroner’s Court.
Oliver Watson’s allegation first emerged in 2023 when he was interviewed by police and signed a formal statement, claiming his cousin admitted in a phone call that he helped the missing man. Oliver’s cousin, Paul Watson, denied he ever said that.
The claim was among testimony heard in a Christchurch court this morning. A coroner is trying to determine whether the case is a murder or a staged disappearance.
Police shared a statement from a man who accused a family member of helping stage the disappearance – who immediately recanted. (Source: 1News)
Police have long argued that John Beckenridge killed himself and his stepson, Mike Zhao-Beckenridge, in March 2015, after picking the 11-year-old up from school in Invercargill in breach of a court order.
Beckenridge’s car went over a clifftop located in Southland’s Catlins region, plummeting 70 metres into the water below. Paul Watson owned the land at the clifftop scene.
Investigators claimed he drove the pair over the edge intentionally in a murder-suicide, likely out of spite for the boy’s mother, Fiona Lu.
But that version of events has never been accepted by Lu, who believes her son is still alive. No bodies were found when the car was recovered.
Beckenridge is a helicopter pilot with four known aliases.
Coroner’s Court hears of police inquiries
Police investigated a new lead in the Beckenridge case in 2023 when Oliver Watson contacted them to describe a phone call, claiming Paul Watson had admitted, shortly after the car went over the cliff, to giving the pair shelter.
A report by police detailing those inquiries was read in court this morning.
“Oliver confirmed that [Paul Watson] disclosed that he and others had assisted the Beckenridges and they were alive,” the police report read.
However, in shocking scenes, Oliver Watson went on to retract that allegation when he was called to give evidence this morning.
He was asked to read the original police statement he signed in 2023, but kept interjecting, and changed course partway through, claiming he’d never said those words.
“He said to me, ‘Don’t worry, they’re alright’,” Oliver Watson said.
“He never mentioned the word alive, he never mentioned helping them.”
Under questioning from police lawyer Deirdre Elsmore, Watson was asked if he now retracted the allegation he had made against his cousin.
He replied, “absolutely”.
Oliver Watson claimed a mistake had occurred when the police officer came to take his statement, saying “the whole thing turned into a social event” and “police writing is hard to read at the best of times”.
However, he later confirmed he had been sent a typed copy, and still signed it.
Asked whether it was a “complete turnaround”, he said “I know it is, I know it is”.
Police lawyer Deirdre Elsmore suggested that Paul Watson’s comment – “they are alright” – may have been a comforting comment, meaning that whether they are dead or alive, they were alright.
“That did occur to me,” Oliver Watson replied.
He was then asked about a dispute over the ownership of the family farm, and shown emails where he made aggressive comments to PaulWatson, who owns the land.
“Would it be true that you believed at the time that Paul Watson gained ownership of it that he had somehow manipulated an advantage?” Elsmore asked.
“Absolutely,” Oliver Watson replied.
He accepted that he contacted Paul Watson again in 2021 to ask him to consider involving him in a business involving the land, and was told no.
He said he did not hold grudges, but was challenged on this by the police lawyer.
Finally, he was asked if he believed that Paul Watson helped with the disposal of the vehicle.
He replied emphatically, saying “no, no, no”.
“I didn’t realise how frail Paul was these days, and there’s no way,” he said.
Paul Watson is due to give evidence later today, but was able to ask Oliver Watson questions as an interested party to the proceeding. He stood up and addressed his cousin and simply said “as a Christian, I absolutely forgive you”.
Oliver Watson immediately broke down in tears, saying, “if I’ve put you under stress, I’m sorry man”.
Paul Watson replied, “I wish you a very, very good happy life”.
(Source: 1News)
The lead is a new one that emerged after a previous coronial hearing in 2023. The claims have been investigated by police, who filed an updated report in November 2024.
At the previous hearing, police said they believed Beckenridge hated his ex-partner, Mike’s mother, and this may have led him to kill himself and Mike.
He sent a final text to the mother shortly before the car was found in the water, reading: “You have destroyed my life and Mike’s. Me and Mike are leaving now on the Midnight Express 3 mins to departure. Bye my love and thanks for everything JB and MB (sic).”
But the schoolboy had been rallying against a court order to live with his mother, and the court was shown several emails he had sent his stepfather in the lead up to the disappearance, saying he hated her.
“I hate my mum, in fact she is not my mum she f****d up my life so bad. I hate her I hope she die painfully (sic),” one read.
This, along with Beckenridge’s skills as a helicopter pilot, has led Mike’s family to believe that Beckenridge staged the disappearance.
