- New Zealand: Judgment in New Zealand of Tinder's killer: he suffocated his date during sex, watched porn, took pictures of the corpse and met another
A jury in New Zealand today has condemned a 27-year-old man for murdering a British backpacker, a case that shocked the country and raised doubts about his reputation as a safe vacation destination.
Grace Millane, 22, disappeared in Auckland on December 1 last year , while traveling after finishing college. Police found his body on December 9 in a wooded area just a few meters from the panoramic enclave of Waitakere Ranges.
The man, whose name has been suppressed by the court, met with Millane on the night of December 1 through the application of Tinder appointments, according to the jury. He pleaded not guilty to murder, arguing that she died accidentally while having sex with consent.
The jury rejected the argument and condemned it a few hours after starting the deliberations. The man must be sentenced on February 21 and faces life imprisonment for murder .
His lawyer, Ian Brookie, could not be reached.
On the other hand, Millane's parents, David and Gillian, were present throughout the trial. "Grace was our sunbeam and we will miss her forever ," her father told reporters present in court. "It will not reduce the pain and suffering we have had to endure," he said of the verdict.
"They took Grace in the most brutal way a year ago and our lives have been torn apart."
The judge thanked the jurors for their service in what he described as a particularly difficult case.
Prosecutors told the jury that the convict took several photos of Millane's body on December 2 . Later that day, he placed the body in a suitcase and drove a rented car to where he buried it.
The case sparked public debate about violence against women in a country where serious crimes occur rarely.
Thousands of people held candlelight vigils after Millane's death and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern held back tears during an apology to Millane's family on behalf of the country.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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