The man found guilty of the murder of Grace Millane is having his appeal against conviction and sentence, arguing that the manner in which the trial was heard was miscarried.
The man, who has name suppression, has life sentence with a minimum sentence of 17 years for the ‘rough sex’ murder case that transfixed both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
His appeal lawyer, Rachel Reed QC, said that she did not intend to excuse the “inexcusable” actions of her client, but rather to argue that the there were four grounds for appeal to be outlined to the Court today.
The case is being heard in the Court of Appeal at Auckland before Justice Stephen Kos, Justice Mark Cooper and Justice Patricia Courtney.
The Crown, represented at appeal by Crown Prosecutor Brian Dickey, had argued the man strangled Millane to death. His lawyers claimed the death was an accident which happened during rough sex.
“I do not in any way seek to condone or excuse his actions after Miss Millane’s death,” Rachel Reed told the Court.
“I cannot and will not do so – they are inexcusable.
“This appeal is about whether the trial process miscarried.”
Grace Millane died on the eve of her 28th birthday. Forty witnesses appeared at the highly-charged trial before Justice Simon Moore and a jury comprising seven women and five men.
