THE man accused of murdering Grace Millane “tried to take own life” after her death.

The accused man claimed he “was in shock” after realising Miss Millane was dead.

The 27-year-old is on trial accused of murdering the Wickford backpacker.

He admits to being responsible for her death but claims it was an accident.

In a police interview watched by the jury in Auckland, the accused said: “I didn’t know what to do. I took a whole heap of tablets that I had. I realised she wasn’t alive and I just wanted to end it all.”

Grace, who died on December 1, met with the accused man before they had sex in the CityLife hotel in Auckland. The police interview took place a week after Miss Millane went missing.

In it, he eventually agreed to tell detectives where Miss Millane’s body could be found because he wanted her family to have “closure”.

The jury then heard the second police interview between the accused and Detective Ewen Settle on December 8.

The alleged killer stated in that interview: “I was at the point where I just wanted to end my own life – I’d had enough, I was finished.” The accused said he again took “20, maybe 30, paracetamol tablets”, adding: “Because I didn’t want to be around if Grace wasn’t there and didn’t think I deserved to be around because of what happened.”

The court also heard what the accused did after realising Ms Millane was dead.

He said he went to The Warehouse, on Elliot Street in Auckland, and bought a suitcase – something he had previously denied.

He said: “I went back and at first I didn’t know what to do,” he said, talking about returning to his CityLife apartment.

“I just put the suitcase on the bed. And I think I left again.”

The accused then recalled putting Millane’s body in the suitcase, adding: “I was just in shock the whole time. I couldn’t put her in it because it just didn’t seem right. It just didn’t seem right.

“So I left and Grace was half-in, half-out of the suitcase at that stage. I couldn’t do it.”

The accused said he then left to buy cleaning products - which was captured on CCTV.

As the video interview continued, Det Settle asked the accused where Miss Millane’s possession were.

The alleged murderer said he had dumped “everything” in a rubbish bin in Auckland’s Albert Park.

“Everything that was in the room,” he said. The trial, which will last for a month, continues.