Jury selected for Grace Millane murder trial

A jury of seven women and five men has been selected to hear the trial of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Grace Emmie Rose Millane.

The man, 27, who has name suppression, denied a single charge of murder at the High Court at Auckland yesterday.

Grace, 21, died on or before her 22nd birthday, between December 1 and 2 last year, in Auckland while backpacking in New Zealand.

Her body was found in the Wa¯ itakere Ranges, west of Auckland, on December 9, 2018.

The accused stood in the dock clean shaven, wearing a dark navy suit and a black shirt in courtroom 11 at the high court.

Justice Simon Moore told the pool of 101 perspective jurors that anyone who participated in public marches and vigils held for

Grace after her death would not be allowed to serve on the jury.

‘‘Her disappearance, followed by confirmation of her death excited intense media attention both here and overseas,’’ Justice Moore said.

‘‘Vigils were held across the country . . . politicians and significant others waded into the debate ... the story took the nation by storm,’’ he said, pointing to the two rows of journalists and photographers in court.

Justice Moore said it was important the jury had an unbiased mind and should not be swayed by feelings of sympathy and prejudice but to reach a verdict ‘‘cooly and dispassionately’’.

He warned the 12 people selected for the jury not to make their own investigations or talk to anyone about the case.

The Crown is expected to call 36 witnesses including Grace’s father, David. The trial will continue tomorrow.