Backpacker murder: The court upholds the prison sentence

Wellington – The British backpacker killer unsuccessfully challenged his life sentence in New Zealand. The relevant appeals court rejected his appeal on Friday and confirmed the previous court’s assessment that the New Zealander, who was convicted in February at the age of 28, had acted extremely insidiously. The judges ruled that he acted “absolutely selfishly and maliciously” during and after the crime. Thus, for the killer to remain behind bars for at least 17 years under current law is not an unreasonable hardship.

The perpetrator met his victim through a dating app and strangled him in December 2018 – the night before her 22nd birthday. He put the body in a bag and buried it near Auckland, where he was found a week later. During the trial, the court also heard that the man was taking intimate post-mortem photos of the victim. He also went to another date with an acquaintance online the next day. The case caused international horror. There were also vigils for the young woman.

The perpetrator had rejected the allegations in court: According to the defense, it was an accident after a consensual sexual encounter between two young men.