Free NZ trip offered to woman who turned in Phillip Smith

A Nelson lawyer wants to gift a New Zealand holiday to the person who tipped off Brazilian authorities to escaped murderer Phillip John Smith's whereabouts.

Nelsonian John Fitchett has ties to Brazil after some recent visits, and has offered to buy airfares for the woman and her partner or friend as a gesture of thanks for her part in locating the violent offender.

Mr Fitchett is now calling on other Kiwis to extend their generosity in providing accommodation, activities and meals for the woman during her stay here.

"I had the idea to just do this thing in a fit of euphoria, shall we say, yesterday morning when I heard it was a member of the public who dobbed him in.

"For a private individual to find him and tip him off, I thought that was really great."

Mr Fitchett recently attended a wedding in Brazil and two years ago was holidaying in Fortaleza when one of its citizens, 17-year-old Felipe Melo, died in New Plymouth.

Melo was one of three people washed from Paritutu rock during a school trip, and Mr Fitchett said the incident did not paint New Zealand in a positive light.

He wanted to try and repair that image.

"The publicity for New Zealand was very bad and anything to put a positive spin on New Zealand might be a help."

It was understood the woman who tipped off Brazilian police did not want to be publicly identified in case of retribution from Smith.