Man admits NZ flats double murder

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David Roberts' sister Karen Morgan in Gwynedd speaks of the family'sr grief and loss after the guilty plea

A Welsh caretaker of a New Zealand apartment block died after being stabbed 12 times, a court has heard.

David Roberts, 43, originally from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, opened his door to Baseem Ridha Kadhim Abbad Almery, 30, who was carrying an 8in chef's knife.

Almery admitted murdering Mr Roberts and his friend Deni Rudiantonio in July 2008, at Auckland's district court.

He said he only wanted to "scare them" after a row with his girlfriend. He will be sentenced next month.

Almery, who also admitted assaulting his girlfriend, was remanded in custody until 18 March at the city's high court.

The prosecution said the attack happened after Almery, an Iraqi, assaulted his girlfriend, who had told him she wanted to move out of the Alpha apartments.

'All went wrong'

Almery returned to the block carrying the knife and asked a cleaner where the property manager lived.

He knocked on Mr Roberts' door and when Mr Roberts answered Almery stabbed him 12 times in the neck and chest.

Mr Rudiantonio, who was in the bathroom, was stabbed 18 times in the neck, chest and stomach.

Almery then threatened to kill his girlfriend, also telling a close friend he had killed two people.

Police found the bodies following an armed siege. Officers took three hours to talk Almery from the building's roof where he held the knife to himself and threatened to jump.

He is said to have said of the stabbings: "I just wanted to get in.

"I only took the knife to scare them. I didn't want to hurt them... it all went wrong."

Mr Roberts' family said they were "happy" that Almery had pleaded guilty.

His sister, Karen Morgan, said: "It's devastated all the family. It's really hard to keep a brave face about everything and everybody has been so kind to us as a family."

Ms Morgan also paid tribute to her brother, saying he was a "lovely man".

"He was planning to go to Australia on another of his adventures," she said.

"He was a lovely man, my brother, he was kind and he worked hard - he was lovely.

"I couldn't ask for a better brother."