Convicted killer had violent history

THE man convicted of brutally murdering German backpacker Birgit Brauer had abducted and raped a young woman previously, the Crown prosecutor revealed minutes after Michael Scott Wallace was found guilty in the High Court at New Plymouth.
After a trial lasting almost three weeks, it took the jury about four-and-a-half hours to find Wallace, 46, guilty of murder.
The verdict was welcomed by the Wanganui couple that Brauer spent her final few days with.
Caryl Blomkvist said she was "delighted". Fritz Blomkvist said he'd always thought Wallace was guilty.
"I thought it pointed to him the whole time."
The couple are in contact with the Brauer family in Germany often.
"It's a good result for us, but hasn't been nearly as traumatic for us as it has for them."
The Crown said that on September 20, 2005, Wallace picked up the 28-year-old tourist as she hitchhiked between Wanganui and New Plymouth.
He drove her to Lucy's Gully, near Oakura, southwest of New Plymouth, where he beat her repeatedly on the head with a metal bar, then dragged her into the bush and stabbed her once through the heart.
Her body was found later that day by a jogger who saw drag marks leading into the bush.
Wallace was arrested 18 days later by the police armed offenders squad after a manhunt. He denied the murder, saying police had got the wrong man.
When the verdict was read, Wallace, standing with hands clasped, bowed his head and blinked several times but showed no other outward reaction.
Crown prosecutor Tim Brewer indicated to Justice Mark Cooper that the Crown may seek preventive detention for Wallace when he is sentenced on September 27.
Outside court he said that was because Wallace had abducted and raped a young woman in the past.
Officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward said Wallace's rape conviction was from 1984, but would not comment further.
Mr Coward phoned Ms Brauer's parents in Germany immediately after the verdict and spoke to them for about 15 minutes with the help of an interpreter.
Afterward he told journalists outside court that Knut and Annemarie Brauer had struggled to sleep for the past few nights in anticipation of a verdict.
"They are very pleased. They are very emotional, as you can expect, and they feel that there has been some burden lifted from them and there has been some closure of sorts for them, although they will obviously never have their daughter back," Mr Coward said.
"I have to say that this has been a tragic case for New Zealand. To have a young lady and a beautiful daughter, as they say - travel on an overseas experience throughout New Zealand and not return is a tragedy in itself," he said.
"And one of the things that we should be doing in this country is looking after our visitors and also looking after our children and our women."
Tireless police work had gone into the investigation, which was a "huge team effort", Mr Coward said.
"Most of you will recall that on day two of this investigation I said that we would get our man, and we have."
Mr Coward said public help had played a big part in the inquiry and he commended those who had given evidence during the trial.
He also thanked Wanganui police for the role they played in the murder inquiry.
Wanganui CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Bensemann last night told the Wanganui Chronicle the guilty verdict was a fantastic result.
"I had no doubt he would be convicted," Mr Bensemann said. "We were involved from the beginning, from the moment her identity was confirmed& that she had left Wanganui."
Wanganui police were also involved in the Horowhenua phase of the inquiry.
Outside court, Wallace's lawyer, Susan Hughes QC, said her client was disappointed with the result.
"Obviously, he is very disappointed in the verdict. I think the words he used were he is shattered by the verdict."
Ms Hughes said the defence had answered every point relied upon by the Crown, but the jury had spoken.
Mr Brewer spoke outside court of his sadness, despite getting the result the Crown wanted.
"It's the right verdict, but it's a tragedy that a young visitor to our country was murdered and dealt with in this way," he said.
"As usual at these times, I just feel a real sense of sadness. It's the end of a legal process, but it's the end of a life." - with NZPA