Jurors watch as murder accused Geoffrey Adams comes clean after 45 years

Geoffrey Adams is facing a Supreme Court trial over the murder of his wife, Colleen, in 1973. Photo / Supplied

Jurors have watched video of the moment Australian murder accused Geoffrey Adams finally revealed a secret he had been hiding for 45 years: he killed his wife.

Adams sat at the kitchen table of his Wallaroo home and told detectives he would "come clean" on the death of 24-year-old Colleen in November 1973.

"I just struck her a bit hard and that was it," he said.

"She fell to the floor and then she died."

Adams had previously told police his wife had post-natal depression and said "goodbye, you little bastards" to their two young daughters before she walked out on the family.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder and is facing a Supreme Court trial, but he has admitted to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Adams, now 72, cried as the jury was on Thursday shown a video interview of his confession to detectives on September 19, 2018.

Geoffrey Adams led police to the remains of his wife, after he told detectives he killed her during an argument. Photo / 9 News

He told them he and his wife had argued on the night of her death before he struck her head twice with a metal object.

When asked what led him to lash out, Adams replied: "continuous having a go at me over nothing".

"Nice guys get caught up in this, they are pushed to the limit," he said.

"Some people just get on your nerves."

Adams told detectives he felt "pretty horrible" and he left his wife's body on the kitchen floor overnight before he dug a grave in their backyard and buried her the following morning.

He said police had come close to finding the body during a dig 15 years prior, but now was "just time" to talk about her death.

The remains of Colleen Adams were found in 2018 in the backyard of the couple's former home at Maitland. Photo / Supplied

"My two daughters, they always had a suspicion," he said.

Later in the video, which lasts more than two hours, Adams accompanied detectives to the house at Maitland, on the Yorke Peninsula, where the family was living when his wife disappeared.

He said "sorry" during his visit to the home, and appeared upset as he pointed out the location of his wife's body to police co-ordinating the dig.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - DO YOU NEED HELP?

If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

If you're in danger now:

• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.

• Run outside and head for where there are other people.

• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.

• Take the children with you.

• Don't stop to get anything else.

• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay

Where to go for help or more information:

• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843

www.womensrefuge.org.nz

• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633

www.2shine.org.nz

• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450

www.areyouok.org.nz

• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584

• Ministry of Justice:

www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence

• National Network of Stopping Violence:

www.nnsvs.org.nz

• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women, focusing this year on sexual violence and the issue of consent.

www.whiteribbon.org.nz

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