Auckland Lawyer Davina Murray Guilty Of Smuggling Contraband Items To Murderer-Rapist

Davina Murray has been found guilty of smuggling contrabands to a convicted murderer and rapist in jail. The Auckland lawyer was accused of giving cigarettes, a lighter, and a mobile phone to Liam Reid, her alleged lover, in Mt Eden Prison on Oct 7, 2011.

The prisoner is serving a 23-year sentence for killing a deaf woman, Emma Agnew, and for raping and attempting to murder a university student just days apart in 2007.

A Corrections officer said that after Mr Reid met with Ms Murray, his defence lawyer, the prison contraband items were found on his person using a metal detector. Ms Murray claimed that the iPhone had been planted, but Judge Russell Collins ruled out that there was no evidence to support her allegation.

Also, the Crown had established that Ms Murray was emotionally attached to her client.

During the two-week hearing at the Auckland District Court, the phone calls between the lawyer and the client were played in court, and the text messages between Ms Murray and her friends were also read out, in which she talked about loving Reid and wanting to marry him.

One of the text messages Ms Murray sent to a friend reads: "I love him like I have never loved anyone before," and another even discussed "smuggling two witnesses into jail to be witnesses at my wedding."

Judge Collins delivered the guilty verdict on Thursday, releasing a full written ruling that criticised Ms Murray's behaviour as Mr Reid's lawyer and during the hearing in which she defended herself.

Examples of the bizarre behaviour Ms Murray displayed in court include using derogatory language about a witness, turning to the media and laughing after the judge put propositions to her, lateness to court, repeatedly talking over witnesses and the judge, and walking around in circles while cross-examining as if she was in an "American court drama show," as outlined by Fairfax NZ News.

She alleged "judicial bias" throughout the hearing, but the judge rejected the assertion, saying he was simply following Supreme Court direction that they keep self-represented litigants such as Ms Murray from spending time on irrelevant matters.

Ms Murray is seeking discharge without conviction. She remains on bail until her hearing on September 6.