The man who killed Essex backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand has launched a bid to have his murder conviction overturned.

The 28-year-old man, who cannot be named, strangled Miss Millane, from Wickford, in an Auckland hotel room in December 2018 after meeting on dating app Tinder.

He then shoved her body in a suitcase before disposing of her in a forest on the outskirts of the city.

The man was handed a life sentence after being found guilty of murder at Auckland High Court in February.

But his lawyer Rachael Reed has now confirmed he will be appealing the guilty verdict and prison sentence, arguing he did not receive a fair trial.

She told Court of Appeal judges that she was not seeking to excuse the man’s “abhorrent” actions after Miss Millane’s death.

But she said the judge placed too much weight on those actions in determining the man’s sentence.

Ms Reed also said the conviction had problems, including questions around the issue of consent, some of the expert evidence, and negative evidence given by other women about the man’s character.