Connor Morris' killer lodges appeal

Michael Thrift Murray was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years last month. Photo / Jason Oxenham, NZ Herald

The man who murdered Connor Morris during a west Auckland street brawl has lodged an appeal.

Last month, Michael Thrift Murray was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years before the High Court at Auckland.

The Court of Appeal confirmed today an appeal had been filed but no further details of the application could be disclosed.

It was not clear whether the application was an appeal against his conviction or his sentence.

No date for the hearing had yet been scheduled.

Connor Morris and Milly Edler-Holmes. Morris died in the arms of his partner after he was struck by Murray. Photo / Facebook

It is understood Murray has been kept in isolation since being sentenced because of Mr Morris's well-documented links to the Head Hunters gang.

On August 3 last year a street fight broke out between two groups on Don Buck Rd in Massey.

Mr Morris, 27 - the partner of Millie Elder-Holmes - was involved in the fight.

Murray saw Mr Morris attacking his younger brother and hit him in the head with a sickle-like tool, which he had retrieved from his home nearby.

He admitted killing Mr Morris but denied the charge of murder saying he acted in defence of his brother.

After a two week trial a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty.

Details of his criminal history were revealed at sentencing and included a conviction for common assault in 2007 and another for possession of an offensive weapon a year later.

He had a number of other convictions but all were "minor", according to the judge.
Murray had never been to prison before his fatal attack on Mr Morris.

Last month, his lawyer Marie Dyhrberg, QC, told the court her client was a model inmate but was struggling with being in isolation.

She argued a fixed sentenced should be imposed rather than one of life, but Justice Edwin Wylie disagreed.

Mr Morris's family reacted angrily to news of the appeal.

"People have been asking are we happy with the sentence, NO we're not, to be told our son's life was only worth 10 years before parole board was a real shock and now to be told he's appealing," a Facebook post said.