A man accused of murder admitted flying into a rage and bashing a Whanganui woman to death with an iron bar to stop her telling his wife about their relationship, a court has been told.
The body of Marice McGregor was found in a bush-filled gully 50km off State Highway 4 in May last year.
The 45-year-old was last seen alive collecting pine cones at Lismore Forest just north of Whanganui on 19 April 2010. She had lived a quiet life and was not reported missing for 10 days.
Dean Mulligan, 43, of Feilding, handed himself in to police on 25 May last year, but pleaded not guilty to the murder charge when his trial began in the Whanganui High Court on Monday.
Crown prosecutor Lance Rowe says the pair met over the internet and during 2009 Mr Mulligan convinced Miss McGregor to hand over perhaps $50,000.
The court was told Mr Mulligan admitted fatally bashing Miss McGregor from behind with an iron bar, just hours after he had researched such blows on the internet.
Mr Row says Mr Mulligan told police Miss McGregor threatened to go to his wife.
Police say Mr Mulligan told them he took Miss McGregor to the gully, became enraged and hit her once, then panicked and hit her again from behind and a third time in the face.
Defence lawyer Stephen Ross told the court on Monday Mr Mulligan confessed to the crime out of fear and to protect his family, and will name who he thinks is the real killer.
Mr Ross says Miss McGregor gave the accused $26,000 in 2009, but another $24,000 is missing.
