Grace Millane murder trial: British backpacker's shallow grave where body found in suitcase shown to jury

Pictures seen by the jury of the shallow grave where Grace Millane was found

The shallow grave where British backpacker Grace Millane was found stuffed inside a suitcase has been shown to the jury in her murder trial in New Zealand.

In pictures shown in court, forensic officers are seen digging where the suitcase was found in the Waitakere Ranges, near Auckland, after Miss Millane died while on a Tinder date in December.

The grave site was shown to the court along with CCTV footage of young Brit’s suspected killer that tracked his movements on the day she was allegedly murdered.

Miss Millane’s body was found bundled into a suitcase and dumped in a shallow grave in woodland outside Auckland on December 9 last year.

Forensic officers where the suitcase containing Grace Millane's body was found in the Waitakere Ranges, near Auckland

She was on the New Zealand leg of a round-the-world trip when she was strangled in an Auckland hotel room while on a date with the man accused of murdering her.

The grave was originally covered in branches and other foliage

After bringing the trolley to his room he later leaves with it carrying two suitcases, one of which he has admitted contained university graduate Miss Millane's naked body folded into a foetal position.

In separate footage he is seen buying gloves and stain remover from a supermarket and a shovel from a hardware store. The suspected murderer was also seen transporting the British backpacker’s body in a red Toyota he rented.

CCTV stills shows Grace Millane’s alleged killer with the suitcase she was buried in inside CityLife hotel in Auckland

The suspect lied while being interviewed by police, claiming the pair parted company at 10pm on the night Miss Millane died, the court heard yesterday.

Footage showed the suspect 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.

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

The trial continues.

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