After she died, the man stuffed Millane's body into a suitcase, drove to the Waitakere Ranges forest and buried her in a shallow grave, where police found her body a week later. Millane had been travelling through New Zealand as part of a planned yearlong trip abroad after graduating from university. The judge asked jurors to decide the verdict on Friday following a three-week trial. Grace's parents David and Gillian Millane arrive with Detective Inspector Scott Beard, left, at the Auckland High Court for a previous hearing. Credit:Getty Images The name of the man found guilty of Millane's death is being kept secret for now by court order, a restriction that is sometimes imposed in the New Zealand judicial system. He did not testify during the trial.

Millane's death shocked many in New Zealand, which prides itself on welcoming tourists and where many people travel abroad as well. Hundreds of people attended candlelight vigils after she died, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke about New Zealanders feeling "hurt and shame" that she was killed in their country. The case has been closely followed in Britain as well. Grace's parents, Gillian and David Millane wept after the verdict was read out at the High Court at Auckland. Loading Justice Simon Moore thanked the jury for their efforts in such a difficult trial and said he would discharge them from sitting on a jury for the next seven years. A number of the jury members were crying at the end of the session. The public gallery was almost full as the verdict was read out, as it has been every day of the trial.

A few minutes later Gillian and David Millane emerged from the courthouse holding hands. "The verdict of murder today will be welcomed by every member of the Millane family and friends of Grace," David Millane told waiting media through tears. "It will not reduce the pain and suffering we have had to endure over the past year. Grace was taken in the most brutal fashion a year ago and our lives have been ripped apart. Grace was our sunshine and she will be missed forever. She did not deserve to be murdered in such a barbaric way during her gap year." He thanked police, Detective inspector Scott Beard, the Crown prosecution team and the media. "Finally we want to thank the people of New Zealand. I can't thank you enough for our your kindness and for opening your hearts to us." Among the key pieces of evidence for prosecutors was testimony from pathologists about the length of time, about five to 10 minutes, and amount of force it would take to kill somebody by strangling them.

Prosecutor Brian Dickey said that at some point, Millane would have lost consciousness, meaning the man would have needed to keep strangling her after she went lifeless under his grip, news organisation RNZ reported. One woman, who had previously dated the man, testified she feared for her life during a sexual encounter with him after the man sat on her face, restricting her breathing without her consent. Prosecutors said the man took explicit photos of Millane after she died, RNZ reported, and used Google to search for "Waitakere Ranges" and "hottest fire" as he tried to figure out how to dispose of her body. But defence lawyers said Millane's death came down to two young, drunk and inexperienced people taking rough sex too far. The man told police that Millane had asked him to choke her and then encouraged him to use more force, RNZ reported. The defence presented written testimony from a previous sexual partner who said Millane enjoyed choking during sex. The defence said she had also been messaging people on Whiplr, a site for BDSM dating.

The defence argued the Google searches were random and it wasn't until the next morning when the man woke up that he realised Millane was dead and panicked, deciding to bury her rather than calling emergency services. Millane's parents travelled from Britain to watch the trial. "It is natural for you to have sympathy for the Millane family and for Grace, who was here on what should have been a happy and exciting adventure," Auckland High Court Judge Simon Moore told jurors in his summing up, news organisation Stuff reported. But the judge said jurors couldn't let media reports or their emotions intrude on their "solemn task" of reaching a verdict based solely on the evidence presented in the courtroom. AP, Stuff