'House of Horrors' guilty plea
The Press
Related Links
Relevant offers
Crime
'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.
Sponsored links
'I wish I could take the pain away'
Bitter MP seeks reconciliation
Police dob in drink driver to Air NZ
Lawyer backs down over drink-drive website
Injured tourist rescued from Tararuas
One dead in crash south of Kaikoura
Tougher sentences for 'sadistic' robbers
Gunman's partner seeks ACC payout
Army bomb victim 'a good Kiwi bloke'
Bitter MP seeks reconciliation
Police dob in drink driver to Air NZ
Lawyer backs down over drink-drive website
All Blacks beat England in dour test
Triple treat cashes up ailing NZRU
All Whites squad to divvy up $4m
Williams confident of luring Tiger to NZ again
Sleepwalker found not guilty of wife's death
World Cup party's over for Phoenix
Oprah says ending show 'feels right'
Police officer killed as floods devastate UK
Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns, one dead