Death stole mum's hope of reconciliation

Teresa Scott. Photo / Dean Purcell

Carmen Thomas' tearful mother yesterday told of how she and her daughter were trying to "bond again" after years of separation but her brutal murder ended all hopes of repairing their relationship.

Teresa Scott, who lives in South Africa, said guilt over the failure to re-establish contact "eats at me every day". After her daughter's death, she could not sleep and found difficulty doing things she once enjoyed. Mrs Scott was prescribed anti-depressants and sleeping pills.

At Callaghan's sentencing hearing, she told of her concerns about the effect his mother's death and his father's jailing had on her grandson.

"Jack had to suffer the loss of his mother and has been told his father did this. When we chat on the phone, he sometimes sounds very down and upset."

Her husband, Wayne Scott, said he could never forgive Callaghan for what he did to Ms Thomas' body.

"I can possibly forgive someone who has killed a person but I can never forgive this man for cutting up a body, hiding it in a container. It is the worst thing you can do to a human body."

Callaghan's father, Phillip Callaghan, said he and his son had not discussed the murder, although they wrote to each other every fortnight.

He had seen his son once in the past two years, in jail, and told the Herald he would continue to write to each other.

"You would be absolutely astounded ... he's a fantastic kid."

While refusing to share his own views on the murder, Mr Callaghan said he had not yet come to terms with it.

"I cannot come to grips with what happened ... we never discussed it."

Mr Callaghan said he was curious to see as to whether police would still charge the 32-year-old friend of Callaghan who first agreed to help, changed his mind, and eventually gave evidence against him with immunity from prosecution.