Convicted murderer and sex offender Phillip John Smith. Photo / Nick ReedBy RNZConvicted murderer and sex offender Phillip John Smith has lost his appeal against a conviction for escaping from prison in New Zealand in 2014, when he fled to Brazil. From prison, Smith, who is serving a life sentence for murdering the father of a boy he was sexually abusing, had renewed his passport under his birth name Traynor. He absconded while on temporary release from Spring Hill prison and was recaptured in Brazil six days later. However, the Court of Appeal has ruled Smith failed to prove there was any abuse of process that would justify overturning his conviction.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 16, 2020 00:00 UTC