New Zealand man jailed over Briton’s Tinder date murder

The minister also again criticised the US over its move last year to kick Turkey off its F-35 fighter jet programme as punishment for the S-400 purchase. “We are a partner in the programme, not a customer,” he added.

Turkey has warned Damascus of an “imminent” operation if regime forces do not move back behind Ankara’s military posts in Idlib.

Moscow, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, urged Turkey to stop “supporting terrorists” in Syria, saying Russian planes had carried out air strikes against armed groups backed by Ankara. — AFP

WELLINGTON: A New Zealand man was jailed for life Friday over the “depraved” murder of a British backpacker he met through the online dating app Tinder.

The 28-year-old was given a non-parole period of 17 years for strangling Grace Millane in December 2018 in a case that shocked New Zealand, which is usually regarded as a safe place to travel.

Millane disappeared on the eve of her 22nd birthday, a few days after arriving in Auckland while on a year-long roundthe-world trip after graduating from university.

She met her killer for the first time on the evening of her death after matching with him on Tinder and the pair went back to his city-centre apartment after visiting several bars.

The man, initially denied any involvement in her death, then told police she had accidentally choked during a sex game gone wrong.

A jury unanimously rejected the defence at a trial last November after just five hours of deliberation.

In a highly unusual move, judge Simon Moore has ruled that the man’s name cannot be published and also suppressed the reasons why he continued to enjoy anonymity, despite his murder conviction.

Moore told Auckland High Court on Friday that the killer showed no empathy for his victim, who had placed her trust in a stranger as she travelled in an unfamiliar city.

“You are a large and powerful man, she was diminutive. You were in a position of total physical dominance,” he said.

The judge described as depraved the man’s actions after Millane’s death – when he took pictures of her body, watched pornography, and arranged another Tinder date for the following night.

A life sentence in New Zealand carries a minimum 10-year prison term but Moore imposed 17 years, saying he saw no factors that would justify reducing the penalty. — AFP