Man Found Guilty of Murdering Partner in Remote 'Witch's Hut' amid Camping Trip: Reports

A man has been found guilty of the 2021 murder of his partner in a remote cabin in New South Wales, Australia.

According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), The Canberra Times and Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph, a jury unanimously found Rohen James Hanson, 42, guilty of murdering Dee Annear, 34, during his trial at the Supreme Court in Newcastle on Wednesday, July 16..

PEOPLE has contacted the New South Wales Police and the Supreme Court of New South Wales for comment.

Annear’s body was found outside a logger’s cabin in Bulga Forest on Sept. 18, 2021, per ABC. The couple had been camping at the cabin, which they named the “witch’s hut.”

An autopsy report found that Annear died from blunt force trauma at around 12:00 a.m. on Sept. 18, 2021, according to ABC and The Daily Telegraph. She had fractures to her skull, rib, nose and jaw, along with lung lacerations and a strangulation injury, per ABC.

Hanson had attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter but his plea was rejected by prosecutors, per ABC. Though he admitted to killing his partner, he claimed he was acting in self-defense, according to The Canberra Times.

PEOPLE previously reported that Hanson’s lawyer told the jury that Hanson did not intend to kill Annear. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

Hanson was accused of lying to police after he claimed he found Annear dead and then later claimed she died after being involved in a car crash.

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After taking back his claim that Annear died following a car crash, Hanson told authorities that he acted in self-defense after his partner initiated a fight and attacked him with a bottle after he crashed their car alone, according to ABC.

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Hansom claimed he tackled his partner into a wall after she attacked him with the beer bottle.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the Supreme Court heard that Annear faced physical abuse from Hanson throughout their relationship.

Her mother Carolyn Butt told the jury that she once saw Hanson punching her daughter’s head while visiting their home in Wingham, while Butt also claimed she witnessed Hanson headbutt Annear during a previous camping trip, per the outlet.

A neighbor also claimed the couple were once drunk at the house before they got into an argument, resulting in Hanson allegedly pushing his partner into a table and later stomping on her head and punching her face.

According to multiple outlets, Hanson will be sentenced on Sept. 5.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.