UK backpacker died from pressure to neck as police interview reveals suspect initially claimed he said goodbye to her in Auckland city centre

Grace Millane died from prolonged pressure to the neck, a forensic pathologist has told a jury in Auckland, as it emerged the suspect initially told police he had parted ways with the British backpacker at 8pm before staying out drinking alone.

Dr Simon Stables told the high court injuries like Millane’s were extremely uncommon worldwide. “From my point of view it is incredibly rare, I have never heard of another case … in New Zealand.”

Stables was giving evidence in the trial of a 27-year old New Zealand man accused of murdering the 21-year-old British backpacker in Auckland in December 2018 while she was on a trip around the world. The accused, whose name is suppressed, has pleaded not guilty.

Stables told the court that he first examined Millane’s body on 9 December inside the suitcase where she was found buried in the Waitakere Ranges on the outskirts of the city.

He told the court more than a dozen bruises were found on her body, with nine of them occurring “probably around the time of death” to her upper arms, left clavicle and collarbone, and to the front and back of her left shoulder.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dr Simon Stables gives evidence at the Auckland high court. Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty Images

The bruises on her upper arms and left shoulder were typical of “restraint”, Stables said. The bruises ranged from 1cm to 5cm in diameter.

The defence asked whether the bruising could have been the result of “physical sex”, or “lovebites”. Stables said the the bruises were too big to be lovebites, but could have resulted from “physical sex”, when pressed by defence lawyer Ian Brookie.

The defence claims Millane died accidentally while engaging in a consensual sex act, while the crown argues she was murdered.

“The pattern is consistent with some level of restraint that has gone on,” Stables said, describing the bruises as typical of other restraint injuries he has seen, whether or not they were consensual.

Stables said he could conclusively state that Millane died from manual pressure applied to her neck “for long enough and with enough force for that bruising to occur”.

There was “extensive evidence” of bruising on the left side of Millane’s neck, in what Stables described as a “significant injury”.

“This bruising wouldn’t occur with gentle pressure on the neck … it takes quite a bit of effort.”

Stables said it would typically take a person four to five minutes to die from the injuries Millane suffered.

Stables said he had dealt with cases of autoerotic asphyxiation, but none involving a partner engaging in a consensual sex game.

The court also heard that the suspect, in his first interview with police on 6 December, claimed he last saw Millane at about 8pm on the night of 1 December, parting ways in the city centre after their date at Andy’s Burger Bar. He said he then went on for drinks alone at a bar he could not recall, drinking alone till around 11pm.

He said he had invited her for a drink at Sky City that evening, choosing a public setting because he was afraid of being “catfished”, or deceived, by Millane. “If she wasn’t who she said she was, at least in my mind I would feel safe” the accused said in video of the interview.

Play Video 1:22 Grace Millane: police release interview with accused - video

When asked about his unusual route to the Auckland harbour side after meeting Millane, he again said it was for safety, that avoiding the back streets made him feel better. Asked how the evening had panned out for him with Millane, the accused replied: “Pretty good”.

The defence suggested alcohol could be a contributing factor in Millane’s death and that her respiratory system was compromised due to high levels of intoxication, affecting a person’s ability to recover a “from a low-oxygen” state.

Stables disagreed, saying if intoxication were enough to affect the respiratory system, that person would be unconscious. “They can’t have disordered breathing and still be conscious,” Stables said.

Alcohol was not a factor in Millane’s cause of death, the doctor said, and her medical records and autopsy stated she was in otherwise good health.

The court also heard how police were alerted to the accused’s existence after an officer who was monitoring Millane’s Facebook page noted a message from him under her profile picture that said: “Beautiful, very radiant”. The accused made the comment on 2 December.

The officer then gained access to Millane’s Facebook account and found details of a conversation she had with a friend discussing the Tinder date with the suspect on 1 December. Within a day, the police had entered the man’s hotel room at the CityLife hotel to search for Millane.

Millane’s mother, Gillian, wept in court as she heard the evidence in the trial, which is expected to last until early December.

Earlier in court, a young woman who went on a Tinder date with the accused in November 2018 gave further evidence about him smothering her during oral sex. She said the accused had told her that he had close friends who were All Blacks, he was dying from cancer, and that he had set gang members on his father who had raped him. During her date with him, the accused said he had just concluded a NZ$500,000 business deal, and pretended to ring an All Blacks player, she said.

“I didn’t believe any of it,” the woman said.

This article was amended on 13 November 2019. The original version said the pathologist told the court the bruising occurred during sex.



