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

[Kikixxxx]

4:15pm - Brookie says seeing Millane on the hotel room floor would have been a "high stress situation". His actions afterwards were motivated by the fear "he wouldn't be believed."

He says in such a situation some people may "do the wrong thing", such as not calling the authorities.

Throughout the Crown's statement, prosecutor Brian Dickey suggested the accused didn't appear panicked in the days after the alleged murder.

Brookie asks what the Crown expected him to do if he is trying to cover something up.

"Don't expect to see panic in everything he does… he has made that decision to try and cover it up. He has got to appear normal," Brookie tells the jury.

The lawyer says in the December 8 interview, the accused said he was shocked.

Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as Crown, defence present closing statements

He’s obv not gonna mention the and pics is he?

 

[Kikixxxx]

Defence lawyer Ian Brookie now talks to the jury about what the defendant did after he claimed he found Grace dead in his room.

"He lied and tried to cover it up. There is no disputing that," he said.

"Human beings, infallible as we are, we get it wrong.

"It was not the right thing to do - you are not going to hear arguing from the defence on that," Brookie tells the jury.

"This is where anger and emotion can get in the way of a calm, logical sorting through of evidence."

To counter potential emotion, Brookie puts to the jury a question:
"Do you honestly believe absolutely everyone would call the police in an accident like this?

"Is it possible, in an accidental death of this nature, that someone wouldn't panic?" he asks the jury.

Brookie describes the point of discovering Grace's death as a "pivot point".

It is the pivot point that breaks the chain of logic the Crown wants you to follow, he says.

Grace Millane murder trial: Crown and defence sum up the case

 

[Mariposa]

I’m bored of this closing speech... I was so engaged with the prosecutions. Does anyone else feel like he’s planting any seed of doubt so far? I really don’t. I’ll be completely shocked if this isn’t a guilty verdict by early next week...

I hung on Dickey’s every reported word but no nothing too striking here. Lame and scattershot at best, an insult to all feeling and intelligent persons at worst. (I may exaggerate but yeah)

I wonder what if anything he will say about the defendants postmortem picture taking?

 

[Mariposa]

The lawyer says the accused bringing up the case of someone dying during sex and a man being convicted with manslaughter may show the accused as still grappling with what had happened with Millane.
Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as Crown, defence present closing statements

I actually laughed here thanks Ian Brookie

 

[courtkim]

4:06pm - Another point the defence lawyer speaks on is the position of Millane's body. He says a diagram drawn by the accused - now lost by police - shows the body in a position that would not have been in the way of the accused walking from the shower to the bed.

Has anyone seen a diagram or photo that shows the bed to shower to blood to fridge distances/locations? I was trying to gauge where she'd have been lying and where the shower would be from some of the pictures of the room but you can't seem much so I wonder if anything better has come out? I've always thought "" about not noticing her until morning because like Dickey said you would literally be walking past/over the body from what I could ascertain. Damn police losing . That's annoying.

 

[Kikixxxx]

4:22pm - The date the accused went on with a woman on December 2 is now being discussed. Brookie says the date had been largely planned in the days beforehand and that by going on it, the accused was keeping with his routine.

The lawyer says the accused bringing up the case of someone dying during sex and a man being convicted with manslaughter may show the accused as still grappling with what had happened with Millane.

Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as Crown, defence present closing statements

Ohhh so he only went on that date with a “friend” to appear normal did he. So no one would get suspicious if he didn’t go. Right..... this is getting daft now

 

[Mariposa]

Has anyone seen a diagram or photo that shows the bed to shower to blood to fridge distances/locations? I was trying to gauge where she'd have been lying and where the shower would be from some of the pictures of the room but you can't seem much so I wonder if anything better has come out? I've always thought "********" about not noticing her until morning because like Dickey said you would literally be walking past/over the body from what I could ascertain. Damn police losing ****. That's annoying.

Well if he’s claiming he didn’t notice her there until morning how does that jibe with him taking 7 pictures of her dead body before 2am

 

[tmar]

Well if he’s claiming he didn’t notice her there until morning how does that jibe with him taking 7 pictures of her dead body before 2am

He needed a souvenir, to check his work later.

 

[Mariposa]

Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as Crown, defence present closing statements

He says the search about the Waitakere Ranges may have been the pair searching where they wanted to visit the following day. The search about fire could have been a mistake - "it could mean anything".

He asks where additional searches are about how to get away with strangulation.

Brookie also puts it to the jury that people often make random Google searches when drunk.

omg this is getting amazing

 

[courtkim]

Well if he’s claiming he didn’t notice her there until morning how does that jibe with him taking 7 pictures of her dead body before 2am

Ok yeah for sure! That's a major flaw in his narrative. Still curious though especially about the blood drips on the fridge because as someone said earlier it seems like that would be a result of violence during the act as blood would've dried before he tried moving the body.

 

[Kikixxxx]

Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as Crown, defence present closing statements

He says the search about the Waitakere Ranges may have been the pair searching where they wanted to visit the following day. The search about fire could have been a mistake - "it could mean anything".

He asks where additional searches are about how to get away with strangulation.

Brookie also puts it to the jury that people often make random Google searches when drunk.

omg this is getting amazing

NO WAY has he just said that!!!!! Omg ahahaha

 

[Mariposa]

Drinking game - have a drink whenever Brookie says something rather sinister the defendant did was not sinister, not a bit!

 

[Mariposa]

NO WAY has he just said that!!!!! Omg ahahaha

I’m bracing myself for what he will say about the pictures of Grace taken

 

[legal.beagle]

Defence lawyer Ian Brookie turns to the accused's Google searches and the intimate photos he took of Grace, which the Crown claims where taken after her death.

Brookie labels the photos as a "dangerous, dangerous" distraction from logic.

The Crown has no evidence of the time of death, Brookie tells the jury.

"All they have are two random Google searches. The first, 'Waitakere Ranges' could have been about where they are going the next day - Grace is new to Auckland," Brookie says.

"The next "hottest fire”. There is no clicking beyond that, you don't even know what the search returns were.

"The search at 7.05am in the morning: "Rigor mortis" - that's different."

"So, where is the evidence to prove the time of death?" Brookie asks.

"Where is the evidence from the Crown that says these are the photos of a deceased person?"

Grace Millane murder trial: Crown and defence sum up the case

 

[Kikixxxx]

Well.... if the evidence didn’t seal the accused’s fate for the jury then at least Brookie’s closing speech will. He’s turning this into a complete joke. I’m in actual shock he’s trying to claim he googled Waitakere rangers cause they were going to go there the next day. Seriously pal, just sign off... throw the towel in. It’s over.

 

[legal.beagle]

Well.... if the evidence didn’t seal the accused’s fate for the jury then at least Brookie’s closing speech will. He’s turning this into a complete joke. I’m in actual shock he’s trying to claim he googled Waitakere rangers cause they were going to go there the next day. Seriously pal, just sign off... throw the towel in. It’s over.

Absolutely. His defence is a joke; I don't get it though, Brookie is normally a v. good lawyer. Is there more to come or is this literally the extent of his defence; if so, may as well call it a day now.

 

[Mariposa]

Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as Crown, defence present closing statements
4:54pm - Brookie says the evidence by the woman who alleged the accused suffocated her shouldn't be given undue weight. He says it's an example of the Crown taking a different situation and trying to make it relevant to this case to "fill its evidential hole".

The defence lawyer says the woman's evidence must be considered within the context that after the woman's encounter with the accused, she kept messaging him, despite being scared of him.

 

[Mariposa]

Brookie told the jury a critical mistake from the accused was "throwing away Miss Millane's phone" - which may have had intimate photos on it, further corroborating his story.
Grace Millane murder trial: 'It was an accidental death' - defence

Yes Brookie, THAT was his critical mistake. Sigh

 

[Mariposa]

Ugh Brookies finally done. Our long (inter)national nightmare has ended

Grace Millane murder trial: Crown and defence sum up the case

• 4 minutes ago
  The court has adjourned until 10am tomorrow morning when the judge will sum up the case.

 

[Kikixxxx]

Finally, defence lawyer Ian Brookie tells the jury: "If you go about your task calmly, consciously and logically you will get this right.''

"This is not a murder, it is a tragic, unforeseen accident."

"The activities these two people did, after getting on like a house on fire during a date, were consensual activities. A bit drunker and inexperienced than they should have been. The evidence I have submitted to you is consistent with that," he says.

Brookie says if the jury has any doubts they can't dismiss, or if any part of them is unsure, then the community requires them to acquit the defendant of murder.

"If that is the conclusion, you haven't done anything wrong," he tells them.

"I invite you to return a not guilty verdict of murder."

The defence rests.

Grace Millane murder trial: Crown and defence sum up the case

In his dreams ...