Dimetrius Pairama torture trial: Accused pleads guilty to kidnapping as trial draws to an end

Warning: This story contains graphic and violent content.

It would be understandable for people "to have feelings of outrage" after hearing the horrific final moments of a tortured teenage girl, a court has heard.

The trial of Ashley Winter, 29, and Kerry Te Amo, 25, is coming to an end.

Winter has pleaded guilty to kidnapping Dimetrius Pairama but denies murdering her in July last year, while Te Amo had initially denied both charges.

Todayin the High Court at Auckland, Te Amo also pleaded guilty to kidnapping the 17-year-old.

The duo, however, continue to blame each another for being responsible for Pairama's death.

Her body was found on July 8 last year by police searching an abandoned state house on Buckland Rd in Māngere during a cold, dark rainy night.

She was in a steel drum, amongst some weeds.

Te Amo's lawyer, Shane Tait, said the place was a "house of horrors".

He said so because of some "disgraceful and sickening" things.

Pairama, who was also known as Precious, was told to strip naked before being tied to a chair with rope and her body burned with a spray can and lighter, the jury has heard.

She was gagged, beaten and had her head shaved before being given the chilling choice of how she wanted to die - stabbed or hung.

Ashley Winter, pictured during the trial. Photo / Sam Hurley

Winter's lawyer Matthew Goodwin told the jury it was "understandable to have feelings of outrage" after hearing what Pairama suffered.

But he also said Te Amo's "flip flop" on the kidnapping charge had exposed his defence as being "smoke and mirrors".

He also implored the jury not to display signs of prejudice against his client because she was transgender.

Tait said: "There have been lies, one would think in the trial."

However, he told the jury people lie for hundreds of different reasons, not just because they're guilty.

"Although guilt's one," he added. "But don't go, 'oh because he lied he's guilty'.

"The house of horrors on Buckland Rd ... We'll never know exactly what happened."

Kerry Te Amo pleaded guilty to kidnapping today. Photo / Sam Hurley

For the Crown Solicitor at Manukau, Natalie Walker, it was simple.

She told the jury both Winter and Te Amo were guilty of murder.

Much of Crown's case was built on the accounts of a teen witness who was at the house when Pairama died.

She cannot be named and was given immunity from prosecution by the Deputy Solicitor-General.

Police first began investigating a possible homicide after breaking up a fight near Britomart in central Auckland. Walker has said the group who were at the house had turned on each other.

Justice Timothy Brewer will give his closing remarks about the case on Monday.

Police at the house where of a 17-year-old was found. Photo / Doug Sherring