NZ Police/Supplied
Gaelene Bright was initially reported missing in May 2022 before her body was recovered in Waipoua Forest.
A Northland man has admitted murdering his partner Gaelene Bright and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
The disappearance of 69-year-old Bright on May 1, 2022 sparked an extensive police search.
Raymond Charles Phillimore, 66, was arrested in Napier on May 17, 2022 after her body was found in Waipoua Forest, near Tāne Mahuta.
The fitter and turner initially denied the charges of murdering Bright and unlawfully possessing a .22.
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However, at the High Court in Whangārei on Friday, he admitted both charges.
He will be sentenced, with a tentative date set for August 17.
Bright was described by those who knew her as a friendly, vivacious and happy person.
The pair lived together in a remote property near the Waipoua Forest.
She was a former hairdresser and artist who was active in the Hokianga community, both in Kohukohu – where Bright used to live – and Waimamaku, where she lived until she died.
