A father and daughter who today admitted abducting the woman's young son are likely to spend time in jail, the judge said today.
Dick Halton Headley, 70, and his daughter, Kay Halton Skelton, 38, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Hamilton to a single charge of abducting Skelton's young son in August 2006.
The boy's name is suppressed.
Headley and Skelton were remanded on bail to reappear for sentencing on December 18.
The couple had been expected to defend the charge and their guilty pleas ended a long-running saga which began when Skelton's then six-year-old son, who was in the custody of his father Chris Jones, was taken from Hamilton Public Library.
He was taken into hiding in Northland by Headley, who gave the boy up to police after five months.
Justice John Priestley today told the pair their guilty plea meant the boy did not have to give evidence against his mother and grandfather.
"As an eight-year-old that would have been a heavy cross to bear."
While he had indicated they were likely to spend time behind bars, Justice Priestley also called for a report on the viability of home detention to be completed before sentencing.
Headley and Skelton's pleas brought the number of people implicated in the abduction to five.
This year Jeremy Owen Daly and Tania Carol Tomason were jailed for 10 months for unlawfully detaining the boy at their property in Matauri Bay in Northland.
Last week Nikala Janice Taylor, 37, admitted a charge of abduction and will be sentenced in December.
Mr Jones was relieved to hear a trial had been avoided.
"I don't believe personally there was any other option available. The crown had a clear case," he told a media conference after today's hearing.
"It's come at a huge cost to my family and I, both emotionally and financially.
"I'm pleased it has come to an end today and I hope that between my family and the Headley family we can see a way through all this."
Court orders prevented Mr Jones or his lawyer from talking about the boy.