Now to our top story. A 23-year-old man will appear in a New Zealand court today
charged with murder after an Australian man was fatally shot on the west coast
of the North Island. 33-year-old Victorian man Sean McKinnon was
sleeping in a campervan with his Canadian girlfriend yesterday in Raglan
when a man demanded a key to the vehicle. Reporter Josh Bavas has more from
outside the Hamilton courthouse today. Josh what do we know about how this man,
this 23-year-old, was apprehended by police?
Well police just held a press
conference earlier this hour. They said that the arrest was made late last night,
so within 24 hours. So 33-year-old Victorian man Sean McKinnon was shot
dead in his campervan near the surfing town of Raglan in the early hours of
Friday morning. Now his partner managed to escape that scene and raise the alarm
with police. The 33-year-old's body was discovered about an hour's drive away on
the outskirts of Hamilton in the camper van. Police conducted a search of a
nearby property last night and they arrested the 23-year-old man.
Here's what police said a short time ago.
Approximately 11:00 p.m. last night the
police executed a search warrant at a local rural address and located a person
of interest to the inquiry. The scene is currently still under guard and will be
subject to a forensic examination later on today. What I can tell you is a 23-year-old
local male will be appearing in the Hamilton district court later on
this morning having been charged with murder and a number of other offences.
Josh we know that Sean MacKinnon's girlfriend was with him, fiance rather,
was with him at the time that this happened.
What more do we know about how this unfolded?
Police have said no doubt that, you know, she has been traumatized by what's
happened here but thankful that she managed to escape and raise the alarm.
They said that they're offering her all the support that they can. The only other
details they've been able to give us is that this 23-year-old accused has been
charged with murder, aggravated robbery and threatening to kill. Police will
allege that this was a robbery type of attack. That accused is set to face court
in the coming hours. Police have also said that they're yet to locate the
firearm that they believed was used in the murder.
And Josh what more do we know
about the area that this happened? I believe that it was quite remote but a
popular area with tourists.
Popular surfing town. It was a remote area.
It happened in a car park. There's quite a long coastal track that visitors can
walk along or drive along. It attracts many tourists and police have said that
the locals in this area have been shocked that this happened just so
suddenly in the early hours of yesterday morning.
They've praised the efforts of investigators for being able to make an
arrest within the 24 hours. Police were given weapons yesterday as part of their
operation. Usually they don't carry firearms in this district themselves, but
an arrest has been made. We'll find out the full details no-doubt
in the coming hours.
Police mentioned in that press conference that they gave
earlier that an inquiry into this continues and will continue. What's going
to be the focus of that inquiry?
It'll no doubt be where the accused managed to
secure a firearm from. They'll be looking into any links that the accused has.
They have said that he is a local from that area. That's all the details they've been
able to provide at this stage. The media has been asking many questions, no doubt
with the the sudden and shocking nature of
happened in the early hours of Friday morning. We'll probably find out a few
more details in court, but that's all that we know at this stage.
Alright, Josh Bavas, we'll leave it there, thank you.