Grace Millane's killer cost taxpayers more than $400,000 in legal aid

Grace Millane went missing on the eve of her 22nd birthday after matching with her killer on the dating app Tinder. Photo / Supplied

The man who murdered Grace Millane has cost New Zealand taxpayers more than $400,000 in legal aid fees alone.

The Ministry of Justice told the Herald the murderer's legal aid for the murder case cost $406,173.95.

On December 8, 2018, police announced the man would be charged with murder.

In November last year, jurors found him guilty.

In February, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 17 years.

In August he took his case to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to overturn his murder conviction and sentence.

Today, the killer lost that conviction and sentence appeal.

But the Supreme Court made a last-minute order suppressing the identity of the man.

The Millane family thanked the people of New Zealand "for the love and support" shown to Grace and the family over the past two years.

"Grace was a kind, fun-loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, aunty, cousin and friend with her whole life ahead of her," relatives said through police.

"She was enjoying the first of what would have been a lifetime of adventures before her life was so cruelly and brutally cut short by her murderer."

Millane was 22.

The family added: "Grace, you are, and will always be, our sunshine."