Carmen's mother visits toddler

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4651473/Carmens-mother-visits-toddler

teresa

Teresa Scott ... visited recently to spend time with her grandchild.

carmen

Carmen Thomas ... slain at 32.

callaghan

Brad Callaghan ... appeared in court via a video link-up on Tuesday.

Carmen Thomas' grieving mother has made another trip to New Zealand to spend time with her slain daughter's child.

South African-based Teresa Scott visited her daughter's five-year-old son, Jack, in the days leading up to the latest court appearance of the man charged over her death.

Carmen's former partner and Jack's father, Brad Callaghan, was charged with murder in September, more than two months after she was reported missing.

Friends and family of Carmen, 32, revealed Scott's most recent visit to New Zealand on a Facebook tribute page to the young mum.

Her aunty, UK-based Carol Louise Lavagna, recently wrote: "Well Carmen your mum's off to see your little man – just making sure he's okay and also making sure he doesn't forget his good old gran.

"They are going to have a grand time and I'm sure they will be talking about you lots and making sure you are never forgotten xxx."

A friend, Gail Stewart, then wrote last week: "Hi Carmen ... I saw beautiful pictures of Jack ... he is the image of you ... you must be really proud of him ... he lookes [sic] so healthy and happy when he was with your Mam. xxxxxx."

Jack is being cared for by members of Callaghan's immediate family.

But Scott revealed on the Facebook page in September, just days after Callaghan's arrest, that she was determined to ensure Jack made his new home in South Africa.

She simply wrote: "Jack is coming home to us."

The boy has been taken to the remand wing of Auckland's Mt Eden Prison on several occasions to visit his father.

Callaghan became a father for the second time when his partner, Tanith Butler, gave birth to a baby boy just days before Carmen's remains were found in the Waitakere Ranges.

The 32-year-old appeared in the Auckland District Court via a video link-up to the remand centre at Mt Eden on Tuesday.

The structural engineer was further remanded in custody until April 12.

His lawyer, Stuart Grieve, QC, successfully argued for an extension of time before Callaghan has to make a plea as it would take a considerable amount of time to go through the items of evidence he had received from the prosecution in disclosure.

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The items include 19,000-plus A4 pages of documents, 20 photograph books, CDs and DVDs including bugged telephone calls and 132 formal briefs from prosecution witnesses.

Callaghan's family could not be reached for comment.