'House of Horrors' guilty plea

Jason Somerville pictured at an earlier hearing in the Christchurch District Court.

Somerville's wife Rebecca Chamberlain who was found under the floorboards of her home at the corner of Hampshire Street and Wainoni Road.

Tisha Lowry who was found under the floorboards of a house at the corner of Hampshire Street and Wainoni Road.

Jason Sommerville Pleads Guilty

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Jason Somerville - the facts (graphic content)

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'House of horrors' murderer Jason Somerville strangled his wife Rebecca Somerville and Tisha Lowry to death before having sex with them.

Somerville pleaded guilty to murdering the women after a brief appearance in court this morning.

Somerville, 33, was charged with two counts of murder after the bodies were found underneath his Hampshire Street house on September 4 this year.

Tisha Lowry lived two doors down from Somerville and had disappeared after going to the Bower Tavern, near her Hampshire Street home, in September 2008.

The shocking details of his crimes emerged in a statement of facts issued following today's guilty plea.

» Read the statement of facts here (graphic content)

The statement said Somerville strangled Lowry until she was no longer breathing. He then stuffed a pair of his wife's underpants in her mouth and had sex with her.

Somerville was due at a meeting early that afternoon so had no time to dispose of Lowry's body, leaving her lying on the floor of a cupboard.

The following day, Somerville waited until his wife had gone out before again having sex with Lowry's body, now hidden under the house.

The six-page statement went on to explain that he also killed his wife in a similar way - strangling her and stuffing underpants into her mouth. "Once she was dead he had intercourse with her.''

Somerville has been remanded in custody for sentencing on November 27.

The judge ordered victim impact statements and psychological reports. He indicated a sentence of preventative detention was being considered.

The house has been the subject of repeated arson attacks since the discovery of the women's bodies.