UK Edition
Grace Millane suspect pleads not guilty ahead of November trial
A New Zealand man accused of murdering 22-year-old British backpacker Grace Millane has pleaded not guilty at Auckland’s high court.
Jesse Kempson, 27, stood in the dock with his hands clasped in front of him as he entered the plea. He is due to stand trial from November 4.
Ms Millane, from Essex, was killed around December 1 while travelling in New Zealand on a yearlong trip after graduating from the University of Lincoln. Her family raised concerns after she failed to make contact for several days, including on her 22nd birthday.
She had been staying at a hostel but was last seen alive entering the CityLife Hotel with the accused on the night of December 1. Police later found her body in dense bushland, about 30 feet from a highway outside Auckland.
Ms Millane's family have described her as “lovely, outgoing, fun-loving and family-orientated”. A funeral was held last week at Brentwood Cathedral in Essex and was attended by Detective Inspector Scott Beard, the New Zealand police officer who oversaw the investigation into her death.
Following Ms Millane’s disappearance, David Millane, her father, flew to New Zealand and stayed for a week as police gradually uncovered evidence about her last movements, leading to the eventual discovery of her body.
Mr Millane expressed gratitude to police and said he hoped that the murder would not prevent people from exploring the world.
“Grace was not born here and only managed to stay a few weeks, but you have taken her to your hearts and in some small way she will forever be a Kiwi,” Mr Millane said in a statement last month. “We all hope that what has happened to Grace will not deter even one person from venturing out into the world.”
The murder prompted vigils across New Zealand to express support for the Millane family and to protest violence against women in New Zealand and around the world.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last month issued an emotive public apology to Ms Millane's family.
“Your daughter should have been safe here and she wasn't and I'm sorry for that,” she said.
At the court in Auckland, Justice Simon Moore ordered the accused to be kept in custody. The trial is expected to last three weeks.
The judge repeated calls for the media and the public to honour the court’s order that the accused’s name be suppressed.
The accused will next appear in court on April 3.