Innocence of Ellis 'written on his face'

Convicted paedophile Peter Ellis. Photo / Christchurch Star

The man who inspired the hit TV series Lie To Me has determined the innocence of convicted paedophile Peter Ellis - based on the twitch of his upper lip. Dr Paul Ekman, an American expert in the field of lying, will analyse the behaviour of four men accused of some of New Zealand's most notorious crimes, on TV3's 60 Minutes tomorrow.

Ekman, on whom Lie To Me's lead character is based, was asked to scrutinise DVD footage of Ellis, David Bain, Mark Lundy and Clayton Weatherston in an attempt to spot lies based on tiny facial movements called "microexpressions".

He said actions such as a lip twitch or catch in the voice can happen in less than a quarter of a second and are a dead giveaway as to whether someone is telling the truth.

Ekman said the "upper lip raise", noticeable in TV footage of Ellis, usually depicted self-disgust. However, he believed Ellis' emotion was directed to police and social workers.

"It's likely he's innocent and that's tragic for what he's had to suffer."

Ellis, a worker at the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre, was convicted of 16 counts of indecency against seven children in 1993. He was released from prison in 2000. Lie To Me screens on 60 Minutes, tomorrow, at 7.30pm on TV3.