A Whitehorse woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the violent death of her domestic partner in April 2017.

Connie Thorn, 52, pleaded guilty to the charge Wednesday when she appeared in Yukon Supreme Court to answer to the charges.

She had originally been charged with second-degree murder, but that charge was withdrawn with the plea agreement.

An agreed statement of facts accompanied the plea.

Thorn, then 48, called 911 at approximately 11:21 p.m. on Apr. 6, 2017 to say she had found Greg Dawson, 45, her domestic partner, dead on the floor of the kitchen in their apartment on Alsek Road in Riverdale.

Thorn told the RCMP at the time that she had waited 20 to 30 minutes to call them after discovering Dawson’s body.

No clear reason was given for the delay, although Thorn said she had gone to her room to drink some cider.

Dawson’s face and hands were extensively covered in dried blood, according to the statement of facts.

The evidence indicated that his body had been dragged into the kitchen from elsewhere in the residence.

An autopsy revealed Dawson had suffered “numerous recent, serious internal and external blunt force trauma injuries to the head and torso.”

A forensic examination of the apartment showed blood stains were present in most of the rooms. They included extensive pooling and splatter marks in the living room and the walls and door of the kitchen.

More blood stains were found on clothing belonging to Thorn and cleaning products. Evidence of an attempted clean-up of the blood stains was also found.

Thorn initially claimed to have been away from the apartment during that day searching for Dawson, who was prone to seizures.

The investigation, however, could find no corroborating evidence of that. As well, the claim was contradicted by other evidence collected and statements from a neighbour.

That person reported hearing an argument in Thorn’s apartment during the day on Apr. 6.

The witness also told police about a “loud banging” around the same time, as well as hearing Thorn “sobbing” in the early afternoon.

At Wednesday’s court hearing, Thorn admitted to causing the injuries to Dawson.

The fatal wound caused a tear in Dawson’s small intestine that caused “almost immediate fatal bleeding.”

She said she was intoxicated at the time, and “lost her self-control using excessive force.”

Thorn was arrested and detained on Oct.16, 2019. She served 339 days of pre-sentencing at that time, and was released on conditions on Sept. 18, 2020.

Thorn was re-arrested on Sept. 20 following a breach of those conditions. She has been detained in custody since.

Thorn will reappear in court on April 19 and 20 for sentencing.

The delay will provide time for some background reports to be filed.