A man who pleaded guilty to the murder of a homeless Aucklander has admitted stomping on his head for half an hour during a ferocious attack.
Justin Vance Turner, 28, appeared at the High Court in Auckland this morning where he withdrew his not guilty plea.
He went on the run after police launched an investigation into the death of 49-year-old Maqbool Hussain, who was found in a storage area behind shops in Balmoral on March 22.
Turner was eventually tracked down in Taupo and charged with murder but until today the grisly details of the attack had not been revealed.
During a police interview in April, the defendant told officers he "sort of had a hatred" for the victim because of the man's lifestyle.