Canterbury dairy farm murder: Joshua Morris-Bamber appeals conviction

Joshua Dylan Morris-Bamber is appealing his conviction and sentence for the murder of Tony Waldron. Photo / Pool

A chef found guilty of murdering his cousin’s husband while he slept is appealing his conviction.

Tony Grant Waldron, 29, was found dead at his Gardiners Rd, Rakaia, home, 45 minutes south of Christchurch, on September 18, 2019, after failing to show up for 5.30am milking.

Waldron’s wife Alana Jane Bamber, 35, and her cousin, Joshua Morris-Bamber, 28, were found guilty of murder by a jury in October last year.

Now, Morris-Bamber is appealing against his conviction and sentence.

An appeal notice has been filed with the Court of Appeal, a spokeswoman for the appeal courts in Wellington confirmed today.

No hearing dates have yet been set.

At the trial at the High Court in Christchurch last year, the Crown described the story leading up to the murder as complex.

Bamber was furious with her estranged husband Waldron, claiming he had been unfaithful with one of her bridesmaids and alleging he had “beat the s***” out of her days before the killing.

On September 17, city hotel chef Morris-Bamber went drinking after work and then visited Bamber at the Gloucester St, Christchurch flat she was staying at.

They chatted, the Crown said during the trial, for about 15 minutes.

Then, about 11pm, Morris-Bamber sent a Facebook message to Bamber, which was allegedly seen by a witness, and said: “What is Tony’s address? I need to get some anger out”.

The essential piece of evidence – that Morris-Bamber denies – was not able to be retrieved because both offenders deleted content from their phones.

Morris-Bamber’s brother Isak Morris-Bamber also set off in the night to stop him from hurting Waldron, but after his partner begged him to not get involved, Isak returned home.

Bamber also told Isak to leave his brother to it, adding “better one life than two”.

Morris-Bamber drove for about 45 minutes south on SH1 to Waldron’s farm, with cellphone data and CCTV from NZTA cameras plotting his movements.

His car was captured passing a golf course going in the direction of Gardiners Rd at 12.56am.

The same car is seen passing the same golf course again, heading back to Rakaia, at 1.04am.

With driving time, the Crown said Morris-Bamber had “at least four minutes” at Waldron’s house, “ample time” to go inside and fatally assault him while he was sleeping.

A post-mortem examination suggests Waldron was struck by a solid weapon at least three times on the side of his head, ear and neck.

Waldron suffered a fractured skull – a 4cm x 2cm fragment of bone was dislodged - along with multiple cracks and a broken jaw.

Morris-Bamber left at speed, stopping briefly to hide “forensically important items” like the murder weapon and bloodied clothing that he would later move again. They were never found.

Justice Nation sentenced Morris-Bamber to life imprisonment with a minimum period of imprisonment of 16 years.

He sentenced Bamber to life imprisonment with a minimum period of imprisonment of 13 years.