Grace Millane's murderer Jesse Kempson (File image). Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The man serving a life sentence for murdering British backpacker Grace Millane is appealing his convictions and sentences relating to two women he met before his arrest in 2018.
It is not the first time Jesse Kempson has asked to appeal convictions and jail time handed down to him - two years ago he took an appeal over the Millane ruling to the Supreme Court and lost.
The latest will be heard in the Court of Appeal tomorrow in Auckland.
The two women told the police what Kempson had done to them after they realised he was the man charged with killing Millane four years ago.
At the time, the 22-year-old's disappearance attracted international attention and the discovery of her body in the Waitākere Ranges sent shockwaves around the world.
Following the murder trial in 2019 Kempson went on to face two further trials at the High Court at Auckland.
He was convicted of raping one woman and the sexual violation; physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse of an ex-girlfriend.
At the first trial in October 2020, Kempson's ex-girlfriend - who cannot be identified - described in graphic detail the escalating physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse she suffered during their relationship.
He slapped and pushed her during arguments, drained her savings account of more than $10,000, and once held a knife to her throat before forcing her to perform sexual acts against her will.
The woman left the relationship after seven months and obtained a protection order against him.
Kempson was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
In the second trial in November 2020, he was found guilty of raping another woman he had met on Tinder, and jailed for three-and-a-half years.
In her victim impact statement, read to the court by a support counsellor at Kempson's sentencing, the woman said she was not the same person any more, but could now walk away from the assault knowing the man did not have any power over her.
Kempson is already serving a life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years for Millane's murder.
