Callaghan guilty

Murder accused Bradford Callaghan appeared in the Auckland High Court this morning where he pleaded guilty to the murder of 32 year-old Carmen Thomas, whose dismembered remains were found in the Waitakere Ranges in October last year.

Callaghan also pleaded guilty to the charge of perverting the course of justice. A Disputed Facts hearing will get underway in the Auckland High Court on March 26, 2012, at the conclusion of which Callaghan will be sentenced by the Court on both charges.

Carmen Thomas, a Remuera mother of one, was last seen alive on June 27, 2010 and was reported missing on July 13 last year. Callaghan was arrested and charged with her murder on September 21 last year and has been on remand in custody ever since.

The matter of Callaghan's plea was embargoed by the Court until 1pm today so that the victim's family could be advised of the plea.

Officer in charge of the homicide investigation, Detective Inspector Mark Benefield, said he was proud of leading a team of dedicated staff who worked hard to resolve the case and which has resulted in today's plea.

"This has been an emotional investigation from the outset. The families on both sides have been ripped apart by violence and this development is particularly pertinent on White Ribbon Day where we all come together to express our intolerance of family violence."

In New Zealand Police attend about 240 family violence occurrences a day - one every six minutes - but Police believe that reflects only about a fifth of all incidents as most go unreported.

Police continue to be focused on the prevention of family violence, the safety of the victims and to bringing offenders to account.