A man who bashed his girlfriend to death while they were camping in remote South Australia has avoided a murder conviction but has been found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Danny Ferguson, 36, has been convicted over the killing of 34-year-old Serena Amos near Oodnadatta in July 2015.
He beat her repeatedly in the final days of her life and when he realised she was dead he fled into the bush on foot, sparking a widespread outback search.
Ms Amos died of dozens of soft-tissue injuries that caused her to bleed internally, leading to acute kidney failure.
In the opening of the murder trial in the SA Supreme Court last week, prosecutors said Ferguson drove his girlfriend's lifeless body from their campsite to her sister's house in town.
"When he drove that red Tarago into Oodnadatta that afternoon Serena Amos was dead in the fully reclined front passenger seat," prosecutor Peter Longson said.
Ferguson picked up Ms Amos's sister and they drove to a clinic in town but when the nurses couldn't bring the victim back to life, he fled into the outback.
Aboriginal trackers, sniffer dogs and planes were brought in to help with the police search.
They picked up Ferguson's tracks and he was arrested 110km north of Oodnadatta four days later, travelling the whole way on foot.
Ferguson was found guilty of manslaughter on Monday and he will return to court for sentencing on Thursday.
