money was withdrawn."

Ms Povey died from cancer in 2012 before her daughter's remains were positively identified.

It is alleged Holdom admitted to two woman he had killed Ms Pearce-Stevenson and Khandalyce.

One woman, who was with Holdom for several years, told police "over time the accused revealed more details to eventually telling her that he'd … stomped on Ms Pearce-Stevenson's throat, crushed her windpipe and left her body beside a log".

"The accused told (the woman) he had killed Pearce by suffocating … and he'd thrown her body off the side of a highway," Mr Mabbutt said as he read the Crown statement.

Murder victims Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter, Khandalyce.

She told police later she found photographs of Ms Pearce-Stevenson's body on his phone's memory card. She also found a picture ofKhandalyce asleep in a car seat.

At the time she never reported her discoveries to police and only revealed it after Holdom was arrested and she was questioned.

Another woman made a diary entry in 2013 in which she noted that Holdom had confessed to her that he had murdered the mother and daughter.

Both women and three other witnesses have had their identities suppressed by court order.

Holdom represented himself in the proceedings after sacking his Legal Aid lawyer last week.

Mr Mabbutt asked him several question including if he wanted to say anything in relation to the charges, give evidence or call witnesses.