Mother who fled to NZ with son guilty

Runaway American mother Juliette Gilbert, who lived as a fugitive in New Zealand with her son, has pleaded guilty in a US court.

Gilbert had earlier pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree custodial interference.

She will be sentenced in the court in Washington State on June 29.

The website artist, 37, was wanted by the FBI for nearly three years after abducting her son Sky, now 9.

She fled the US to New Zealand, where she got engaged to Bay of Plenty engineer Craig Henwood.

He alerted police in January, when Gilbert suddenly disappeared, and her wanted status was discovered.

In April 2002, Gilbert left her Bainbridge Island home in Washington with 6-year-old Sky, breaking a court order that she and former husband Roby Gilbert share equal custody of him.

She told reporters she fled because Mr Gilbert had verbally abused Sky and she could not stand to see it.

She had made the same claim during custody hearings but no evidence of abuse was found during court-ordered psychological evaluations.

She was escorted back to the United States on April 13.

Mr Gilbert was granted custody of Sky in April.

- NZPA