A teenage boy has admitted murdering a British backpacker in New Zealand as she walked home from a night out.
Jahche Te Manawa Kaha Broughton, 15, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Auckland to killing Karen Aim, from Orkney.
He murdered the 26-year-old tourist in a brutal attack on January 17 last year as she made her way home in the resort town of Taupo.
Court officials in Auckland confirmed Broughton pleaded guilty to the murder charge. He will be sentenced on March 6 at the High Court in Rotorua.
Miss Aim's parents had travelled to New Zealand and were in court.
Broughton, who was 14 at the time, also pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to a separate attack on a 17-year-old girl in Taupo 12 days earlier. He was remanded in custody for sentencing.
Miss Aim's father, Brian Aim, expressed his relief at the plea, saying the family expected to sit through a trial lasting more than a month. He also praised the efforts of the New Zealand police.
"The outcome today would surely be thanks to the good police work within the New Zealand force," he said outside the court.
And despite the tragedy, Mr Aim said he still loved New Zealand, a country he first visited four decades ago. He added the family intended to stay on for the sentencing.
Police said Broughton beat Miss Aim with a baseball bat near the Taupo Nui a Tia College. She was found only 100 metres from her home with critical head injuries and died soon afterwards in hospital.
