Teina Pora was the 'happiest man in the country' when he was told the Privy Council had quashed his convictions for rape and murder, his lawyer says.
Late last night, justices of the Privy Council quashed Mr Pora's convictions for the 1992 rape and murder of Susan Burdett in South Auckland.
The 39-year-old has twice been convicted of the crimes, and last night's decision means those convictions no longer stand.
Teina Pora was with friends and family as he celebrated news of the decision.
“We were able to tell him a short time before the decision was handed down by the PC (Privy Council) that his convictions had been quashed,” lawyer Jonathan Krebs said.
He was initially speechless but as the news sank in he was “probably the happiest man in the country.”
“It was a very emotional moment, very poignant. He was silent for a while as the reality of the situation sunk in and then the smiles began, and we discussed all of the different ramifications.”
