Man pleads guilty to murder of restaurant worker Kim Chau whose body was found in Adelaide home

A man has admitted to murdering an Adelaide restaurant worker at the luxury home of two South Australian government executives two years ago.

The 23-year-old faced the South Australian Supreme Court today, where he pleaded guilty to the murder of 39-year-old Kim Chau in September 2019.

The man, whose name is suppressed, had previously pleaded not guilty and was due to face trial.

The court previously heard that Ms Chau had been stabbed 80 times when she was found at the home in Adelaide’s CBD.

Officers had been called to the historic two-storey property on Sturt Street after the restaurant worker was reported missing by friends.

At the time, police said Ms Chau had been stabbed and her body was found in an upstairs living area.

Ms Chau had been living with Lois Boswell and Don Frater, who are deputy chief executives of different SA government departments.

Ms Boswell is the chief executive of South Australia’s Department of Human Services, and her husband, Mr Frater, is a senior SA Health executive.

SA Police said neither were involved in the death in any way.

At the time of the incident, Ms Boswell released a statement which said Ms Chau “was a friend who has lived with our family over the last year”.

“While we are devastated by these events, there are family members and friends who are primary in our thoughts,” she said.

The case had been described by prosecutors as complicated, with investigators tasked with checking 1,000 hours of CCTV.

Days after Ms Chau’s death, police combed through tonnes of shredded rubbish and household waste at a Lower Light waste facility as they searched for evidence.

The man will next face court in October.