Found Deceased NEW ZEALAND - Grace Millane, 22, British backpacker, Auckland, 1 Dec 2018 *Arrest* #2

[LucyRocket]

That's what I think too!

Oh no. He would have been seeing those messages come through

They've never mentioned her belongings have they? Bag, clothes etc. Neither to say they have or haven't been located

 

[Elainera]

Wasn't her phone found on his bed? If so, he could have seen her messages. Her friend said something like 'tell me what happens tomorrow' so he could have been wondering how he had before she messaged again.

I remember only that they found two phones in his room but it wasn't said if they both belonged to him or if one was Grace's.

But still, it's very likely he went through her phone and it got him thinking, even if he disposed of the phone later on.

 

[Kikixxxx]

Im betting on the defence calling Grace’s ex boyfriends .. his lawyer already said they’d be delving into the sex lives of grace and the accused and they haven’t yet really. He hasn’t got anything else to go on. I just hope it doesn’t sway the jury. The problem is that what the prosecution has shown so far the accused isn’t disputing ... he’s admitted killing her and dumping her body but he’s saying it was an accident from consensual sex. It’s very hard to prove either way. Personally I think his actions afterwards tell us all we need to know but you never know what the jury are thinking ... I’m nervous

 

[libramoon175]

I think we should all be prepared - the defense is going to absolutely tear Grace apart.

 

[stephaniejanes]

I think we should all be prepared - the defense is going to absolutely tear Grace apart.

Sadly I think so too. I think this will, in a sense, be like a rape trial - but with the victim no longer here. My sister went through this at trial and the defence QC (UK) was horrific. It will be sooo awful for Grace's family.

 

[mrjitty]

I hope the judge is very strict

 

[LucyRocket]

9:30am - What is expected to be the last day of the Crown's case will begin at 10am. The public gallery is expected to be full.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard, who led the investigation, is expected to give evidence today.

 

[LucyRocket]

The Crown says it is expected to wrap up its case on Thursday afternoon, likely ending with Detective Inspector Scott Beard giving evidence. Det Insp Beard was the face of the missing persons and then homicide investigation last year and travelled to the United Kingdom to be with Millane's family at her funeral earlier this year.

The jury will also be shown a police interview with the accused conducted on December 8 - the day police announced a man had been charged with murder.

Several other witnesses will also give evidence via statements read out in court.

 

[sunnynz]

Im betting on the defence calling Grace’s ex boyfriends .. his lawyer already said they’d be delving into the sex lives of grace and the accused and they haven’t yet really. He hasn’t got anything else to go on. I just hope it doesn’t sway the jury. The problem is that what the prosecution has shown so far the accused isn’t disputing ... he’s admitted killing her and dumping her body but he’s saying it was an accident from consensual sex. It’s very hard to prove either way. Personally I think his actions afterwards tell us all we need to know but you never know what the jury are thinking ... I’m nervous

Yes I would say they’ll be providing some kind of evidence that grace had previously been into some kind of rough sex/choking. Which of course is utterly irrelevant because strangling someone for four to five minutes until they die is totally beyond that!

 

[sunnynz]

Yeah I’m shocked at how much is being released too. Is this typical for NZ ?? Here in the uk you might get 1 or 2 pictures released at the end of a trial if there’s been a guilty verdict but even that’s quite rare to be honest

No it’s not normal. I think there has been massive interest in this case though and it’s probably the first time we’ve had a case with this kind of digital evidence, combined with the level of public interest, in the age of immediate online news reporting on the trip in real time. I do think the name suppression has heightened the interest in the case too.

 

[LucyRocket]

10:00am - Grace's parents David and Gillian Millane have arrived and have been allowed into the court before the rest of the public.

The pair were visibly upset viewing some of the evidence yesterday.

 

[LucyRocket]

10:12am - Court has resumed for Thursday’s session.

It begins with two witness statements read out by Crown prosecutor. One statement is from the man who served the accused at the Kumeu ITM. The witness describes the man as a "nice person to talk to".

The second is from a woman who interacted with the man at a chemist. She says he acted "oddly" and had what she believed were hives on his hands.

 

[LucyRocket]

The Crown has opened court by reading two witness statements to the jury, which supports the accused's movements on the days following Grace's death.

The first statement was from a man who sold the accused a spade in Kumeu on December 3.

He described the accused as "cool", meaning he was a nice person to talk to, the statement read.

"There was nothing suspicious about him, I've never seen him before."

 

[LucyRocket]

The second statement read to the court is from a Unichem chemist retail manager.

The woman said she saw the accused enter the store and he was behaving oddly.

“He looking at the cameras inside the store and playing with his hands, the statement read.

"He mentioned to me that he had a bad allergy and needed medication. He didn't look at my face.”

The issue was hives on his hands, which can be caused by an allergic reaction to organic material - a common problem with gardening.

The accused had "creepy looking" eyes and they were very distinctive looking, she said.

Media accounts of Grace's disappearance compelled her to go to the police with her statement.

 

[LucyRocket]

The jury is now being shown the second recorded police interview with the accused, dated December 7.

Detective Sergeant Ewen Settle has been recalled as a witness to assist with the evidence for this recording.

Defence lawyer Ian Brookie was present in the interview and can be seen in the video.

 

[sunnynz]

Double post @LucyRocket but slightly different info so am sharing it.

“His eyes were creepy looking, they are rather intimidating
10.15am

This morning's evidence has started with a central Auckland pharmacist talking about her interaction with the accused on December 3.

In a statement read to the court, Eliana Golberstein said the alleged murderer came into the store at about 3.40pm and was "behaving oddly."

She said he was "standing there weirdly looking at the cameras and playing with his hands".



Golberstein said the accused informed her he had a bad allergy and had hives on his hands.

"I noticed he was not speaking to my face or looking at my eyes," her statement read, adding there were reed marks between his fingers and on the back of his hands.

"His eyes were creepy looking, they are rather intimidating," Golberstein said.

She prescribed antihistamines.

After seeing the accused's name published in overseas media in stories about the disappearance of Millane "it triggered me to come in and talk to police".

 

[LucyRocket]

Yesterday, the packed court room was told people would no longer be able to stand to watch the evidence, and only those with a seat would be allowed to stay

 

[LucyRocket]

10:37am - The interview begins by the accused giving his account of what happened on the night of December 1.

He says the pair went to Andy’s Burger Bar after meeting outside SkyCity. Here they had about five or six cocktails.

The accused then admits the pair walked to the Mexican Cafe. In a previous police interview, he told the police he parted ways with Millane after leaving Andy’s Burger Bar.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Back in the accused's room, Grace started talking to him about 50 Shades of Grey, which is a sex fantasy movie that's out, the accused tells Settles in the interview.
"She told me there are a few things that she likes doing that she had done with her ex-partner," he said.
The pair began having sex, and he said Grace was showing him what she liked and what she wanted him to do.
The sex got more violent and ended up on the floor. They took photos of each other and continued on the floor.
"...then she told me to hold her throat," he said.
After they had finished, he went to the shower, and fell asleep in the shower.
"I woke up and went to bed, I thought she had gone. I woke up the next day, I saw she was lying on the floor with blood coming out of her nose," he said.
"I screamed, I tried to see if she was awake."
He then asks for a break from the interview.

I wonder if they found photos of him apparently taken by Grace?

As with a lot of liars I believe they do include truths within their version of events quite often anyway

 

[LucyRocket]

So where in his timeline, does his internet activity take place?