Callaghan in court video link

Brad Callaghan. Photo / Greg Bowker

Brad Callaghan made his third appearance in court yesterday charged with the murder of Carmen Thomas, 32, his ex-partner and the mother of his child.

He faced Auckland District Court by video-link yesterday, looking thinner than in previous appearances in September and February.

The work car he was driving when arrested has been returned to his employer.

The 33-year-old worked for construction company Mansons TCLM and had the use of a 2004 Subaru Legacy company car when he was arrested on September 21 last year.

Police seized the car but Crown prosecutor Anna Longdill applied to the court for the car to be returned to Mansons.

The application was necessary as police took the car from Callaghan but wished to return it to its legal owner.

Callaghan's lawyer Stuart Grieve QC did not oppose the application.

He said his client would be reappearing for a post-committal hearing in a week's time.

At Callaghan's last appearance it was revealed that the Crown had about 132 witness statements, 19,000 pages of evidence and CDs containing bugged telephone conversations in the case against him.

The police probe into the disappearance of Ms Thomas took 10 weeks and ended with the discovery of her body which had been cut into pieces, sealed in concrete and buried in the Waitakere Ranges.