'House of horrors' murderer had sex with dead victims

Jason Somerville. Photo / Simon Baker

A man who has admitted murdering two women and burying their bodies beneath his house had sex with both victims after killing them.

In Christchurch District Court this morning, Jason Paul Somerville, 33, admitted killing his wife Rebecca Chamberlain, 35, and neighbour Tisha Lowry, 28.

Police found the women's bodies under Somerville's Wainoni house in early September. Tisha Lowry was murdered in September 2008 after she disappeared while walking home. Rebecca Chamberlain was killed on August 30, 2009.

The summary of facts in the case says that Ms Lowry knew Somerville and went to his home between 10.50am and 12.30pm on Thursday September 25, 2008.

This was two houses from where Ms Lowry was living with her grandfather.

Ms Lowry had previously been to the home of Somerville and his wife, Rebecca Chamberlain.

Police say Somerville was home alone and answered a knock on his front door. He opened the door to find Ms Lowry standing there and invited her inside.

"Once inside the address a struggle has taken place, [Somerville] grabbed Tisha around her throat with his hands."

Ms Lowry struggled with Somerville, kicking and punching him, but he tightened his stranglehold.

"[Somerville] increased the pressure of the strangle to a point where the victim was no longer resisting and had lost consciousness. [Somerville] continued to squeeze her throat until he was certain she was no longer breathing," the summary of facts states.

He then forced a pair of his wife's underpants into Ms Lowry's throat, before removing her jeans and underwear and having sex with her.

Somerville was due to attend a meeting early that afternoon. Being short on time, he left the body of Ms Lowry lying on the floor of the cupboard under the stairs of his house.

He returned about an hour later with the knowledge that his wife was shortly due home. He removed the manhole cover on the floor of the stairwell cupboard, which led beneath the house.

Somerville dragged Ms Lowry's body and lowered her through the manhole and left her lying semi-naked under the house before putting the cover back over the manhole and cleaning the house in anticipation of his wife's return.

Ms Chamberlain returned to the home about 3pm that day and had no knowledge of what had taken place in her absence.

The following morning Ms Chamberlain left the house to attend a meeting, which Somerville knew would keep her away from the house for the majority of the day.

"[Somerville] has gone beneath the house and removed the remainder of the clothing worn by the victim. He again sexually violated her body by having sexual intercourse with her," the summary of facts states.

"He then dug a shallow grave near where she lay and buried her body along with the clothing that she had been wearing."

Ms Lowry was reported missing by family on September 28, 2008. A police investigation began and Somerville was spoken to on October 5, 2008, as part of routine inquiries in the area.

Somerville told police that he and his wife would often see Ms Lowry on the bus and about four weeks earlier she had knocked on their front door asking for another person.

Somerville also said that Ms Lowry came inside his house and they talked about the real estate agents that he was using to sell the property.

Somerville told police Ms Lowry had walked around his house and that he originally had assumed she was going to use the toilet.

He said after a short time he found her in their bedroom looking through the wardrobe and that he then asked her to leave.

The summary of facts says that about 9.30am on Sunday August 30, 2009, Somerville woke and attempted to have sex with his wife in their upstairs bedroom.

"She has not welcomed his sexual advances and has repeatedly said no to him."

Somerville then went downstairs to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee before returning to the bedroom and trying again to have sex with his wife.

She has again refused and this angered Somerville. He placed his arm around her neck in a headlock fashion and tightened his grip, compressing her airway.

Once she was unconscious, Somerville felt for a pulse, but found none.

Somerville then placed his fingers on top of vital arteries and applied firm downward pressure to ensure there was no chance of his wife regaining consciousness.

He then took a pair of underpants and stuffed them into his wife's throat.

"Once he established that the victim was no longer alive he proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her," the statement continued.

"He dragged her body out of the bedroom, along the hallway, down the flight of stairs, where he forced her through the manhole in the stairwell cupboard and buried her body in the sand underneath the floorboards."

About 2.15pm on Sunday August 30, 2009, Somerville phoned the Christchurch police and told them his wife was missing.

He told police she had left the house about 10.30am that day to go to church.

He said that she left without her house keys, which he felt was out of character and that her handbag, cellphone and bank cards were also left at home.

Somerville told police that his wife was a recovering alcoholic who was on medication for depression and that she had previously tried to harm herself after drinking.

On September 2, 2009, police spoke with Somerville again and established that his wife had still not returned or made contact with him.

The following day, Somerville went into the New Brighton police station and told police that he had discovered his wife's prescription glasses and wedding ring in their letterbox at his house where they must have been placed overnight.

When interviewed further, Somerville admitted that he had killed his wife and Ms Lowry.

In explanation, Somerville said he had become angry with Ms Lowry and killed her. He also stated that he killed his wife because he felt deep anger at being rejected for sex by her.

Judge Noble remanded Somerville - listed as unemployed - in custody until November 27 for a pre-sentence report.

The Crown said the issue of preventive detention may arise at sentencing and it is likely to call for reports on the psychiatric state of the accused.

Somerville's only previous appearance before the court was on a traffic related matter.

His house has been the subject of repeated arson attacks since the discovery of the women's bodies.