DAVINA Murray had a promising career ahead of her as a criminal lawyer and wanted to make her mark on the national political stage.

Then she met one of New Zealand’s vilest killers and rapists.

She realised her feelings for Liam Reid were wrong. But she couldn’t resist him.

“I hate that I’m in love with him ... if the courts say no, I wouldn’t care but I’m scared to lose him,” Ms Murray wrote in a text message to a friend.

“He makes me laugh, he makes me think, he makes me cry, he makes me feel beautiful, he makes me sing.”

The messages were revealed in an Auckland court in 2013 where Ms Murray was defending charges of smuggling an iPhone, cigarettes and a lighter to inmate Reid and also of having communication with a prisoner “that may prejudice the safe custody of a prisoner’’.

She was convicted of the charges in 2013 and sentenced to community work after changing her plea to guilty, and lost her legal career.

She has also not advanced her political career after being a candidate for The Maori Party in the 2011 general election.

The couple yesterday married in Auckland Prison with another murderer as the intended best man, on Reid’s daughter’s 22nd birthday. Their marriage has been slammed by victims advocates as “delusional” and by the NZ Corrections Minister as “revolting”.

Reid is serving a 23-year sentence for the 2007 rape and murder of deaf woman Emma Agnew and the rape, attempted murder and robbery of a 21-year-old student nine days later.

The start of their forbidden romance was laid bare during the hearing into Ms Murray’s charges when her text messages were read to a judge.

In one, she asked a friend in Australia to come to New Zealand. “Need to smuggle in witnesses into jail as my staff to witness my wedding. When he gets out we will do the big la-la.’’

Ms Murray discussed wedding vows with the friend and said the secret marriage could jeopardise Reid’s appeal. “My heart says, ‘I should just do it’ but my head says, ‘Wait’.’’

In response to a question from a friend, Ms Murray answered: “No, we haven’t but we have come close — damn prison guards.’’

She then told a friend she had kissed Reid in a way she had never kissed anyone before. She texted: “He’s the best kisser I’ve ever kissed” and he was “seriously the best — it’s like he just gets me.”

Intercepted phone calls between the couple were also played. In one of the calls, Reid asks Ms Murray to make sure he can be at a prison event. “I expect results by the next time or I’ll f***ing smash you.’’

He then goes on to say: “You need to talk to them about recording these phone calls.’’

Another conversation appears to be about the iPhone Ms Murray took into the jail for Reid. “If they start anything stupid against you, even though I said it was a staff member, then I’m just going to go on the attack mode,’’ Reid told her.

The 2013 hearing heard Crown lawyers believed the couple were planning to marry in jail in secret. They met about 80 times over nine months before Ms Murray’s arrest in 2012.

Instead, their big day came yesterday — inside New Zealand’s toughest jail. The best man was supposed to be another murderer but he reportedly backed out after the news broke.

It is believed a man convicted over his role in a methamphetamine drug ring was invited instead.

The ceremony took place at 10am in front of one guest, reported The New Zealand Herald.

It was catered, photos were taken and the legal paperwork was signed to seal the convict couple as newlyweds.

A Corrections spokeswoman confirmed a number of photos of the happy couple had been taken, but it was unlikely they would be released.

Reid’s ex-partner contacted the Herald after news of the wedding broke, upset and angry. The woman said Reid marrying on his daughter’s birthday was “sick” and she considered it a personal attack.

“Not only did she have to come to terms with what he had done at a very young age and eventually grew up knowing that he was a rapist and murderer — every birthday she has from now on, they will be celebrating their wedding anniversary,” she said. “She struggled emotionally and now for them to do this to her is cruel and heartless.

“It just makes me feel sick and sad for my daughter, that he can hurt and affect her life like this again.”

The woman said she was “completely outraged” that Reid’s wedding had been allowed.

“Without any regard to victims’ families and other members involved,” she said. “It’s just disgraceful — if I had of known that this was taking place on this particular date I would have done everything in my power as a mother to try and stop it. But we weren’t even given a chance.”

The source said another inmate from the segregation unit was invited — David Obiaga, who was jailed in 2015 for his part in an international drug cartel behind the importation of $2.5 million of methamphetamine.

Corrections Minister Louise Upston said yesterday she was not consulted about the wedding, nor was she aware of it until the Herald revealed details on Monday night.

“I find that marriage particularly disgraceful and I think most New Zealanders will,” she said this morning.

“I just find it revolting. For her family it will be an absolutely tragic day [for Ms Agnew’s family] because for them they know they will not see their daughter get married and I think it’s appalling.”

She said: “Unfortunately it’s not against the law to get married in this country but I’m thinking of Emma Agnew’s family because they won’t get to see her get married.”

Prisoners can apply to get married but it is up to individual prison directors to approve the applications.

andrew.koubaridis@news.com.au