David McNee's killer is hoping to expose other high-profile men who paid him for sex, casting serious doubts on the homosexual panic defence used to get him off a murder charge. Since Phillip Edwards was moved from Mt Eden prison to Auckland Prison at Paremoremo last week, the 24-year-old has tried to send letters to four Auckland men asking for money. He allegedly told the men he would tell the media that they paid him for sex. Guards would not send Edwards' letters because they viewed them as extortion, says a prison source. Edwards apparently punched walls when his letters were rejected and broke his hand. Edwards is currently serving a nine-year sentence for the manslaughter of David McNee, whom he punched to death at McNee's Auckland home during a paid sexual encounter. He was found not guilty of murder. Edwards' defence successfully argued that the killing was not intentional.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 2nd October 2004 - 12:00pm