Tears as woman pleads guilty to charges in connection with Brent Bacon's death

Aleisha Dawson.

A woman has tearfully pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the death of a Dunedin man.

The body of 45-year-old Brent Andrew Bacon was found north of Waitati on February 18, a day after police and forensic staff descended on his Lock St flat in St Clair.

Aleisha Cherie Dawson, 31, appeared in the High Court at Dunedin this morning – by audio-visual link from prison - where she admitted counts of dishonestly taking the victim's vehicle and twice attempting to use his bank card.

Other charges and the factual basis behind them were suppressed by Justice Gerald Nation.

When the summary of facts was read in court, Dawson covered her face with her t-shirt and cried.

Her counsel Brian Foote requested a psychological report be compiled on his client.

She had a "very difficult past", he said, and exploration of that might lead to a discount in her final sentence.

Justice Nation ordered the report but told the defendant not to assume it would make a difference to his sentencing on November 27.

He noted Dawson did not have a lengthy criminal history.

Her conviction list reflected what appeared to be significant drug issues in her past, the judge said.