Found Deceased NEW ZEALAND - Grace Millane, 22, British backpacker, Auckland, 1 Dec 2018 *Arrest* #2

[jamjim]

Under cross examination, the witness told defence lawyer Ron Mansfield she and the accused told each other what they liked during sex and they both responded.

She told him she liked to be choked, which he did.

Later, the pair ate pizza together.

"I didn't try to go to sleep, I just decided to get dressed and go home. I mentioned that I was leaving, but he must have fallen asleep."

After Grace was reported missing in the media, the witness contacted police.

She described her encounter with the accused as "vanilla".

She didn't initially tell police about the intimate details of the date - not because she was embarrassed but because she had forgotten.

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder date

 

[jamjim]

"The court has adjourned for a brief break."

 

[jamjim]

"The second witness, who also cannot be identified, told the court she was in contact with the accused for several months after matching with him on Tinder around February 2018.

She never met up with him in person, but the pair chatted about sexual preferences.

"He liked feet, dominating and strangulation. He said he liked it because it made him feel more superior and in control," she told the court.

The last contact she had with the accused was around December 3 or 4.

"He wanted to take me out on a date," she said.

"I didn't feel comfortable meeting up with him knowing the sort of things he wanted me to do."

 

[jamjim]

Under cross examination, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield questioned the witness' evidence about strangulation being a preference of the accused.

"In my statement I did write specifically about the strangulation. They [the police] didn't ask me a specific question outside of: What he liked. I said strangulation because that is what he said at the time," she told him.

"But there is no discussion of strangulation at all between the pair of you," Mansfield said.

"I wouldn't have made up the fact that he asked to strangle me ... if I knew it wasn't real," she said.

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder matches

 

[jamjim]

The court has adjourned for morning tea.

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder matches

 

[Mariposa]

She continued to ask him for weeks about the glasses but he didn't return them.

Jerk.

 

[jamjim]

Bed time for me! Did a 12 mile hike today and can barely keep my eyes open now! I'll post the rest of the updates tomorrow morning.

 

[Tortoise]

Under cross examination, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield questioned the witness' evidence about strangulation being a preference of the accused.

"In my statement I did write specifically about the strangulation. They [the police] didn't ask me a specific question outside of: What he liked. I said strangulation because that is what he said at the time," she told him.

"But there is no discussion of strangulation at all between the pair of you," Mansfield said.

"I wouldn't have made up the fact that he asked to strangle me ... if I knew it wasn't real," she said.

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder matches

As far as I know the cause of Grace's death wasn't revealed until trial, which gives credibility to the witness.

 

[Tortoise]

2 minutes ago
After the court break, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield continued his line of questioning about strangulation being a preference of the accused.

“There is evidence the pair of you discussed sexual preference but there is no evidence he actually mentioned strangulation," he said.

"What I am suggesting is that he didn't like rough sex or strangulation," Mansfield said to the witness.

"He definitely did," she replied.

"But you can't recall when you had that conversation with him?

"You can't refer us to a messenger or a text message to confirm that?" Mansfield asked.

The woman repeated: "I wrote about the strangulation in my police statement, long before I knew I was going to be involved in this trial.

"I don't have my messages or phone calls to refer to because I had since deleted messages and upgraded my phone," she told the jury.

Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield questions witnesses who had contact with the accused through Tinder.

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder matches

 

[Tortoise]

a few seconds ago
A third witness, who also cannot be named, is a woman who went on a date with the accused in November 2018.

The pair again matched on Tinder then he asked for her cell number.

"He called me and asked to meet up that day for a drink in the city. I agreed," she told Crown Solicitor Brian Dickey.

"I got off the bus at Queen Street, but he'd stalked where I was coming from and he was down at the bus stop on the Viaduct. So I walked to meet him," she said.

"He suggested we go to the backpacker's [bar] near where he lived to have a drink but he wanted to get changed out of his suit first."

The pair went back to the accused's room at the CityLife hotel where they stayed, drinking alcohol.

"I drank all of the wine - he kept filling up my glass."

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder matches

 

[Kikixxxx]

The witness continued by telling the court how the encounter between her and the accused in his apartment was "terrifying".

She said she told the accused they couldn't have sex, but he pulled her over onto the bed anyway.

She said he lay her down on the bed, put his knees on either side of her head and tried to get her to perform a sex act on him.

When that didn't work, he sat on her, his body covering her face.

"I couldn't breathe. He wasn't supporting any of his body weight. He put his pressure on my forearms, so I couldn't move.

"I started kicking. I was kicking with all my might because I couldn't breath. I was terrified. When he still didn't get off, I lay completely still, went limp so he knew something was wrong."

I started thinking about my family and friends, thinking they can't read about this.

"This can't be the way I died," she told the court.

 

[Kikixxxx]

The woman continued her evidence, telling the court that when the accused did get off her, he asked her: "What was wrong?"

She replied: "What did you mean 'what was wrong?' I couldn't breathe".

She said he replied, saying: "You don't think I did that on purpose do you?"

The woman told the court: "It's just the way he said it: 'You don't think I did that on purpose do you?' It still gives me chills," she said through tears.

The woman found a way to leave shortly afterwards.

In the next conversation the pair had, the woman said she deliberately kept it casual because she was scared of him.

"He knew so much about where I lived, the sports team I played for, my university classes - I didn't want him to just show up," she told the court.

 

[sunnynz]

The witness continued by telling the court how the encounter between her and the accused in his apartment was "terrifying".

She said she told the accused they couldn't have sex, but he pulled her over onto the bed anyway.

She said he lay her down on the bed, put his knees on either side of her head and tried to get her to perform a sex act on him.

When that didn't work, he sat on her, his body covering her face.

"I couldn't breathe. He wasn't supporting any of his body weight. He put his pressure on my forearms, so I couldn't move.

"I started kicking. I was kicking with all my might because I couldn't breath. I was terrified. When he still didn't get off, I lay completely still, went limp so he knew something was wrong."

I started thinking about my family and friends, thinking they can't read about this.

"This can't be the way I died," she told the court.

Poor girl, how terrifying!

 

[Jaw]

So awful! Do you think it will be an easy win with this evidence?

 

[sunnynz]

The witness was working at one of the places the accused went with Grace Millane on December 1.

"He came in with a young lady," she told the court. "She looked European and had a black dress on."

The witness made them margaritas and the jug of sangria. When the accused left with Grace, the witness asked him again when she could have her glasses back.

"He said: 'Sure, sure - tonight'."

Grace Millane murder trial: Court hears from accused's past Tinder date

Right, so his previous date worked at the Mexican Cafe - explains why they went to such a random place for a drink! Bet he wanted to show off that he was on a date given the previous girl had turned him down for further sexual encounters.

 

[sunnynz]

So awful! Do you think it will be an easy win with this evidence?

On the one hand it's so obvious he's guilty - but on the other, they have to prove he did it on purpose which is the tricky thing, especially given there seem to be plenty of people out there who are into that type of sex - the defence will be pushing the fact that it was just normal sex gone wrong. I don't know how much his actions after Grace's death legally count towards murder v manslaughter? His reactions show he felt no remorse but do they show intent before the act?

 

[Mariposa]

Wow this latest witness has a terrifying story.
I notice how he was determinedly plying her with alcohol which IMO was his tactic with Grace as well (the its your birthday we getting smashed! stuff)

 

[Mariposa]

Also this latest witness was just weeks before Grace met him.
And the three women testifying today sound as if they are all locals in Auckland.
I’ll speculate that he might have felt empowered to assault Grace further than he’s gone before—mainly due to her being a backpacker alone in NZ far from home. Maybe he thought no one would miss her for a while. Of course her family raised the alarm immediately which may have been unexpected to him.

 

[Legally Bland]

So awful! Do you think it will be an easy win with this evidence?

I honestly don't think they even need this evidence to get a surefire conviction.

Well, I hope so anyways.

 

[legal.beagle]

"Shown photos of the CityLife hotel room where Grace died, the witness confirmed it was the same room where she had a "terrifying encounter" with the accused."