Grace Millane murder suspect named as Jesse Kempson after British backpacker’s body found in New Zealand
26-year-old man heckled as he appeared in Auckland court
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Your support makes all the difference.The man accused of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand has been named as 26-year-old Jesse Kempson.
He was heckled from the public gallery as he appeared in Auckland’s District Court on Monday.
The defendant appeared in a blue boiler suit for his first appearance before a judge after he was charged with the murder of the 22-year-old from Essex.
A man in the gallery reportedly shouted “scumbag” after Mr Kempson was identified for the first time.
Court documents allege the killing took place between 1 December and 2 December – the date of Ms Millane’s 22nd birthday. The address of the accused was given as the same Auckland hotel where the British backpacker was last seen alive.
Police discovered a body believed to be Ms Millane near a woodland road in the outskirts of Auckland, in the Waitakere Ranges area, on Sunday.
The district court Judge Evangelos Thomas told Ms Millane’s family: “I don’t know what we can say to you at this time, your grief must be desperate.
“All of us hope justice for Grace is fair and swift and ultimately brings you some peace.”
It also emerged that the suspect had contacted the British backpacker on Facebook, commenting on one of her photos on 1 December, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Police had previously declined to confirm reports the pair had met on an online dating app.
Mr Kempson’s lawyers had a request for his name to be suppressed rejected.
An appeal meant he still cannot be identified in New Zealand, but the reporting restrictions do not apply to international media.
He was taken back into custody at the end of Monday’s hearing. His next scheduled appearance in court is 23 January at Auckland’s High Court.
Earlier on Monday, New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern gave an emotional apology to the family of Ms Millane. “Your daughter should have been safe here, and she wasn’t, and I’m sorry for that,” she said.
Detectives are now trying to piece together the moments that led up to her death.
They have appealed for anyone who saw a red Toyota Corolla rental car in the area during the early hours of 3 December to come forward.