Today, 39-year-old Ernest Smith has entered a guilty plea during a trial for the murder of Amanda TAUFALE.
On behalf of her family, Kapiti-Mana Police have agreed to pass on the following statement which can be attributed to Amanda's father and family spokesperson, Graham Redman:
"It is a huge relief for the whole family that a guilty plea has been entered today. This has finally put to rest our fears of attending a trial and reliving the tragic events of last November".
"We will be eternally grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the Police, Victim Support, Mandy’s work colleagues and friends, and our own friends and wider family".
"This has been a tragedy for all concerned but today’s guilty plea will enable us to at last move forward with putting our lives back together, as much as we can. The family would now appreciate some privacy as we attempt to do so".
Police will not be making any comment until sentencing occurs on 23 October 2013 in the Wellington High Court and ask the media to support the family's wish for privacy.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact Nick Bohm, Wellington District Communications Manager, on 027 559 2235.