A jury in a west Auckland murder trial has been urged not to let a guilty plea to an assault charge influence its thinking over the more serious charge of murder.
Matthew Brian Edmonds, 46, today pleaded guilty to one count of male assaults female in the High Court at Auckland this morning.
He's on trial for the murder of Petter Bettink, who was found dead at a property on Wairere Rd in Waitakere last November.
Standing in the dock, dressed in a white shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, and black trousers, Edmonds entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charge, but one of guilty to a lesser charge of assaulting a woman.
He's accused of killing Mr Bettink on or around November 6 last year.