Exemplaric beforeDelete hook for a file model, to delete corresponding version.

gistfile1.php

<?php
    public function beforeDelete($cascade = true) {
        if (!$cascade) {
            return true;
        }

        $result = $this->find('first', array(
            'conditions' => array($this->primaryKey => $this->id),
            'fields'     => array('dirname', 'basename'),
            'recursive'  => -1
        ));
        if (empty($result)) {
            return false;
        }

        $pattern  = MEDIA_FILTER . "*/";
        $pattern .= $result[$this->alias]['dirname'] . '/';
        $pattern .= pathinfo($result[$this->alias]['basename'], PATHINFO_FILENAME);

        $files = glob("{$pattern}.*");

        $name = Mime_Type::guessName($result[$this->alias]['basename']);
        $versions = array_keys(Configure::read('Media.filter.' . $name));

        if (count($files) > count($versions)) {
            $message  = 'MediaFile::beforeDelete - ';
            $message .= "Pattern `{$pattern}` matched more than number of versions. ";
            $message .= "Failing deletion of versions and record for `Media@{$this->id}`.";
            CakeLog::write('warning', $message);
            return false;
        }

        foreach ($files as $file) {
            $File = new File($file);

            if (!$File->delete()) {
                return false;
            }
        }
        return true;
    }