Carmen's cause of death revealed

Brad Callaghan at a court appearance. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A neighbour of Carmen Thomas heard a panicked scream and then allegedly saw the man accused of her murder walk out.

Ms Thomas' ex-boyfriend Brad Callaghan has been charged with her murder and Justice Geoffrey Venning has granted media access to the police file.

Callaghan has pleaded not guilty to murder.

A summary of the police case says Callaghan told the neighbour that Ms Thomas, the mother of their son, vomitted blood on him because she was sick.

This was at 8.45am, June 29, 2010. Police say Callaghan assaulted Ms Thomas, striking multiple blows to the head which killed her. This is the first time the alleged cause of death has been revealed.

The police files, released today, say Callaghan then met with a friend, whose name is suppressed, and arranged to meet at Countdown supermarket in Greenlane.

He then text his friend: "can you please bring 3 rubbish bags and a bottle of kerosene...keep it quiet", the documents say.

The pair then met at the supermarket and the friend bought rubbish bags and cleaning products. Kerosene was bought from another store.

Police allege Callaghan then cleaned Ms Thomas' unit.

"This included wiping away blood spatters from near the front door. He concealed evidence in a large 240 litre Auckland City Council recycle bin," the police summary of facts said.

The next day Callaghan is alleged to have sent text messages from Ms Thomas' phone to make it appear she was still alive.

He is also alleged to have bought a meat cleaver.

"Over the ensuing period the defendant dismembered Carmen's body into eight pieces in order to prepare it for disposal."

The police file goes into details about how Callaghan is alleged to have chopped up the body, before placing it into rubbish bags and encasing it in cement.

Some days later he met with another friend at the Okahu Bay boat ramp. He is reported to have told the friend that he had killed Ms Thomas and needed help getting rid of the body.

Police say he tried to dump the body parts at sea but was not able to do so. The reason for that is not explained in the summary of facts.

The police say in the days following, he then drove the body parts to the Waitakere Ranges on July 7 and buried them in a secluded location.

He is alleged to have driven Ms Thomas' car to Hamilton and dumped it there, along with her cellphone and other items smeared in blood.

The police say this was to make it appear as if Ms Thomas had gone to Hamilton and not returned.

Callaghan was arrested over two months later on September 21. He declined to make a statement to police.

Ms Thomas' dismembered body was found in plastic containers in the Waitakere Ranges last October, after a 10-week police investigation.

Callaghan is to stand trial in February.