17 Aug 2010

Appeal against conviction for hitch-hiker killing dismissed

9:40 am on 17 August 2010

A man who admitted killing a hitch-hiker and throwing his body in the Waikato River in 2001 has lost his appeal against conviction.

Ratima Osborne was 17 when he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002 for murdering Jason Johnson.

In June, he appealed against his conviction claiming he received bad legal advice when he entered the guilty plea, and that he did not understand what he was doing when the plea was entered.

In Monday's judgement, the Court of Appeal said Osborne received good and realistic legal advice.

It said after considering evidence from Osborne and his then-lawyer, it concluded he did understand what he was doing when he pleaded guilty.