Tourist murder-accused 'wished police shot him dead'

Michael Scott Wallace

On the night the man accused of killing German backpacker Birgit Brauer was arrested, he told police he wished they had shot him dead, a court heard today.

"They should have just shot me tonight," Michael Scott Wallace said in a police interview. "I couldn't run any more. I would have been better off being shot. There has been too many drugs."

Wallace's interview was read out in the New Plymouth Court this morning where he is appearing for a depositions hearing to see if he will stand trial for Ms Brauer's murder.

The 28-year-old German Backpacker was found dead at Lucy's Gully, just south of New Plymouth, at 5pm on September 20 last year.

Police say 44-year-old Wallace picked Ms Brauer up in Waitotara earlier that day, drove her to Lucy's Gully and beat her about the head with a metal bar. He then allegedly stabbed her through the heart and dragged her into the bush where she was later found dead by a jogger.

In the three weeks after her death, Wallace allegedly worked his way south from Lucy's Gully, discarding of the murder weapon at Cardiff, Ms Brauer's backpacks at Lake Rotokauri and the Toyota Hilux he was driving at Ohau.

On October 8 Wallace was arrested after a short pursuit from Tangimoana.

He was taken to the Levin police station where Detective Ross Wright searched him, took his clothing and then sat in on an interview headed by Detective Sergeant Debra Gower.

After Ms Gower put allegations of murder to Wallace there was a lengthy silence before he replied: "What am I to do? The last two weeks have been really bad. Do I have a lawyer in here?"

Mr Wright said Wallace was again informed of his rights. He then said he wanted to cooperate before being taken outside for a cigarette break.

Once back in the station Ms Gower asked Wallace if he wanted to be "honest".

In the interview read to the court by Mr Wright, Wallace said: "I crossed a few boundaries to do what I did because I haven't understood what I have been doing for two months. I didn't want to hurt people but I have.

"Two months ago I done something and hurt someone and screwed up. Drugs has had something to do with it."

Wallace went on to say he had tried to "end it" four times in the past two months but it never worked.

When Ms Gower asked Wallace to release the burden on himself and talk about the murder of Ms Brauer, the court heard he said: "I would like to tell you what happened but I just don't know what happened....I would rather have died than hurt someone."

Wallace talked about "screwing up" two months earlier and referred to committing an aggravated robbery.

"I am not trying to imply I'm insane cause I'm not, but there is something you can't see," the court heard he said.

Later during the interview Wallace talked more about the drugs he had taken. "I feel like shit, totally shit...I would like to die right now."

Wallace was charged with murder the next day.

His depositions hearing is due to finish on Wednesday.