New Zealand jury convicts man of murdering British backpacker
- 22 Nov 2019
A woman comforts her friend at a vigil for murdered British backpacker Grace Millane in Wellington, New Zealand. File photo/Reuters
A jury in New Zealand convicted a 27-year old man on Friday of murdering a British woman backpacker, media reported, ending a case that has shocked the Pacific nation.
Grace Millane, 22, who was travelling after finishing university, went missing in Auckland on Dec.1 last year. Police found her body on Dec.9 in bushland just a few metres from a scenic drive in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges.
The man, whose name has been suppressed by the court, met Millane on the evening of Dec.1 through dating app Tinder, the jury heard. He pleaded not guilty to murder, arguing she died accidentally during consensual sex.
The jury rejected the argument, convicting the man just hours after beginning deliberations, Television New Zealand reported.
Reuters
