‘Depraved’ killer of Grace Millane launches appeal against conviction
THE killer of British backpacker Grace Millane, who strangled her on a Tinder date in New Zealand, has launched an appeal against his conviction and sentence for murder.
Jesse Kempson, 28, killed Ms Millane on the eve of her 22nd birthday after they met in Auckland before burying her body in a suitcase in woodland.
He was dubbed “depraved” by a judge for taking pictures of her dead body and watching pornography after the murder and then went on to organise another Tinder date.
At his trial, Kempson claimed Ms Millane had consented to “rough sex” and her death was accidental, but he was handed a life sentence with a 17-year minimum term in February after a jury found him guilty of murder the previous November.
Launching his appeal, lawyer Rachel Reed insisted Justice Simon Moore had placed too much emphasis on Kempson’s “inexcusable” actions following Ms Millane’s death when he passed sentence.
“The post-death conduct is certainly at times abhorrent,” she said. “What we do need to look at, though, is what connection that has to the state of mind he had at the time of the murder.” Ms Reed
Whether he had an honest belief in consent, this is a crucial live issue and the jury were unable to engage Rachel Reed for Jesse Kempson
also suggested Kempson might have used pornography to distract himself from the reality of what had happened, urging the Court of Appeal to reduce the minimum sentence to 12 years.
The lawyer challenged the way the trial judge had directed the jury, including on whether Kempson had formed the “reckless intent” required for a murder conviction.
“Whether [he] had an honest belief in consent, this is a crucial live issue and the jury were unable to engage,” she said. “Did he have time to realise it had occurred prior to her death and if he did, did he maintain an honest belief in consent at that time?”
Ms Reed argued that the jury were not directed sufficiently to consider what Kempson’s “state of mind” was at the time of Ms Millane’s death.
Kempson had met Ms Millane, from Wickford in Essex, through dating app
Tinder while she was on a round-theworld trip, and after drinks in the city they headed back to the hotel where he was living in December 2018.
Her body was found partially buried in woodland outside the city days later.
Kempson has also claimed in his appeal that evidence from his former lovers was unfairly presented in the trial, and suggested the jury had not been properly helped to understand expert evidence.