David Tamihere being led into court in July 1989. Photo / John Sefto
David Tamihere being led into court in July 1989. Photo / John Sefto
The man who has spent nearly 20 years in prison for murdering two Swedish backpackers has spoken out about going back to court to have his case reconsidered.
Earlier today, David Tamihere was granted the rare legal lifeline of a Royal Prerogative of Mercy after it was signed off the Governor General and Cabinet.
His double-murder case dates back to 1990 when he was found guilty of killing tourists Urban Hoglin, 23, and Heidi Paakkonen, 21, in the Coromandel.
This afternoon, he told Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan he had "a lot more optimism" compared with last time round and believed that came down to a change in attitudes from judges.
"The judges and system is changing. A lot has changed since I was convicted, the Court of Appeal only listened to the Crown and no one else."
Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen disappeared in 1989. Photo / File
Tamihere told du Plessis-Allan he didn't mind going to prison for crimes he'd committed but could not accept being jailed for "something that wasn't down to [him]".
"As far as I was concerned most of it was manufactured and everything, so I got my backup.
"I was offered a couple of times that if I nodded my head to it I would get a fairly quick release but I wasn't interested in that."
Tamihere's lawyer Murray Gibson said there was a long road ahead to proving a miscarriage of justice.
"Not many of these applications succeed, and of course we've still got the hurdle of persuading the Court of Appeal that a miscarriage of justice occurred, which I think it has.
"It was not only the perjury convictions that have prompted this but also some doubts about the original identification evidence in the trial," Gibson told Newstalk ZB.
David Tamihere being led into court in July 1989. Photo / John Sefto
Gibson said he was grateful that the Ministry of Justice prepared advice recommending the prerogative application be accepted.
"It's a very high threshold that's required in order for the prerogative of mercy to be exercised, and in each case obviously it has to be dealt with on its merits."
The Appeal is dealing with evidence that's 30 years old, so he's hoping for some time to prepare for the re-hearing, Gibson said.
Tamihere had skipped bail for a 1986 rape and was on the run when the murders were committed. The brother of former Labour Cabinet Minister John Tamihere also has a manslaughter conviction for the 1972 death of an Auckland prostitute.
The mystery over whether he was the Swedes' killer gripped the nation and sparked the biggest land-based search ever undertaken in New Zealand, but no bodies were initially found.
2018: The High Court revokes Witness B's suppression order
2020: Justice Minister Andrew Little announces David Tamihere's case is heading back to the Court of Appeal after a Royal Prerogative of Mercy application
