David Dougherty, the man who spent more than three years in jail after he was wrongfully convicted of rape, has died.
In 1993 the 50-year-old was sentenced for the abduction and rape of an 11-year-old Auckland girl.
He was acquitted in 1997 when DNA evidence proved him innocent. He received a Government apology and was awarded $868,728.80 in compensation.
He died on April 20 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The lawyer responsible for his acquittal says their last interaction was bittersweet. Murray Gibson says he last heard from Mr Dougherty a month ago.
"I realise now that he was saying his farewells, because he ended the call by telling me that he loved me, which is not something a lawyer generally hears from his client, past or present."
He says Mr Dougherty had a difficult life after his wrongful imprisonment.
"His life disentangled somewhat after his release, because he just found it difficult to readjust - probably to live with the injustice that had been caused to him, notwithstanding the money that he got."
His story was turned into a film in 2008. Until Proven Innocent told the story of how three people who had never met him - journalist Donna Chisholm, lawyer Murray Gibson, and scientist Arie Geursen, became convinced of his innocence and began a crusade to overturn his conviction.
The television drama recounted their four-year battle, through two trials, two high court appeals and a petition to the Governor-General to get him pardoned.
Their efforts were vindicated in 2002 when another man, Nicholas Reekie, was convicted of the crime.
Newshub.
