Focus: Grace Millane's family read their victim impact statements. Video / Chris Tarpey
New Zealand's Supreme Court has signalled a quick resolution to a last-minute order preventing media from publishing the identity of Grace Millane's murderer.
With just minutes before the man's suppression was due to lapse at 11am yesterday, the country's top court decided to continue the man's name suppression - at least for a few days.
At 10.37am, the Supreme Court delivered a judgment to the killer's legal team, prosecutors and media ordering the extension of suppression "until further order of the court".
However, Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann, and Justices William Young and Mark O'Regan, only gave the killer until 5pm last night to file submissions and convince them why he should keep suppression.
The Crown and media were also told to file and serve responding arguments by 10am on Monday.
Shortly after the Supreme Court's announcement, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision on the killer's appeal of his conviction and sentence for fatally strangling the British backpacker, whom he met on the dating app Tinder, in December 2018.
Both appeals were dismissed but the man continues to claim his innocence and asserts Millane died during rough sex. He has already said a second appeal to the Supreme Court will occur.
When throwing out the challenges, the Court of Appeal judges ruled the Crown was not required to disprove consent or an honest belief in it at the high-profile trial last November.
"On appeal at least, the Crown does not suggest he set out to kill Ms Millane. Rather, it says he intended to cause her bodily injury by strangulation, for sexual effect, knew that was likely to cause death and consciously ran that risk," the judgment reads.
"Consent is not available as a matter of law where there is an intent to cause injury known to be likely to cause death, that risk is run, and death ensues."
Grace Millane's killer continues to have suppression. Photo / Michael Craig
When considering the killer's sentence, the Court of Appeal said Justice Simon Moore was correct when imposing a non-parole period of 17 years.
"To be plain about matters, it really is very difficult to imagine much greater vulnerability than the situation Ms Millane found herself in on the evening of Saturday, December 1, 2018."
After Millane died, the killer also searched the internet for methods of to dispose of her body - which was discovered in a grave in the Waitākere Ranges - looked at pornography online, and took intimate photos of her naked body.
He also went on another date while Millane's body remained in his downtown Auckland hotel apartment.
"We conclude that this behaviour is indicative of a degree of wholly self-regarding wickedness throughout the incident and its aftermath."
