Grace Millane murder trial: British backpacker’s ‘killer’ lied in police interview about her going home after Tinder date

The man accused of murdering Grace Millane lied while being interviewed by police, claiming the pair parted company at 10pm on the night the British backpacker died.

Footage shown to Auckland High Court in New Zealand shows the suspect, 27, telling an officer he left his Tinder date after a couple of drinks in a bar.

But CCTV shown to the jury earlier of the final hours of Miss Millane’s life revealed how they in fact both returned to a hotel where the defendant was living in an apartment on the third floor.

It is alleged he murdered her during rough sex that night, but he insists her death was accidental.

The defendant, pictured left, was interviewed by Detective Ewen Settle, right, on December 6 as a person of interest. Footage showed how he lied to the officer.

Miss Millane, from Wickford in Essex, died during a round-the-world trip on the eve of her 22nd birthday.

The accused was interviewed by Detective Ewen Settle as a person of interest on December 6 - five days after Miss Millane's death, the court heard. He was not under arrest at the time.

During the interview he claimed to have arranged a rendezvous with Miss Millane in a public place for his safety, in case she had “catfished” him. A catfish is someone who lures a person into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona.

The defendant said they had gone to a burger bar before separating, saying: “So she’s going that way, and I’m going across the street.”

Grace Millane, 22, who died in New Zealand in December 2018 
PA

But in a second police interview days later, the accused admitted their date had continued, and that Miss Millane had died in his hotel room.

He said in the first interview was not sure Miss Millane was going to be a "real" person and feared she may have been a catfish. "If I meet at SkyCity [the hotel] ... If it is someone that it's not, I could just walk away," he said.

"On Tinder it's all about the way you look… If she wasn't who she said she was at least then in my mind I would be safe."

Grace Millane inside a hotel lift with the 27-year-old male who is accused of murdering her 
PA

When asked how the evening went, the defendant’s story began to contradict CCTV footage of him and Miss Millane from the night of December 1.

The jury were set to continue watching the police interview when the murder trial resumes in the High Court later.

New Zealand courts have banned reporting the defendant's name and the country's government has asked international media to respect that ruling.

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