Raglan motorhome murder: ‘None of this will bring Sean back,’ says sister after man admits to murder

A sister of murdered Australian surfer Sean McKinnon says she hopes her killer will spend a lot of time behind bars.

McKinnon, 33, was shot after being awakened early in the morning while he slept in the rented caravan he shared with his Canadian fiancee Bianca Buckley in the picturesque Te Toto Gorge on August 16 last year.

Shocked and scared, Buckley was able to run for her life, running about 2 km to the nearest house on Whaanga Rd and frantically waking the occupants to help her.

Mark Ronald Garson was due to go to trial on November 16, however, he appeared in Hamilton Superior Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to McKinnon’s murder and threatened to kill Buckley.

He was convicted of both charges by Judge Pheroze Jagose.

“It would be nice to see him receive a long sentence,” said the sister, who did not want to be named. “The sheer violence and lack of remorse shown shows someone that it is not safe to be in the community.”

The couple had been on a surf vacation at the time. They endured a long distance relationship; Buckley a midwife in Auckland and McKinnon a carpenter in Victoria, Australia.

They hired a caravan and headed to Raglan, deciding to spend the night parked in the gorge, which has panoramic views of the Tasman Sea.

During the first hours, they were awakened by banging on the window.

A local who comforted Buckley told the Herald that Garson was “erratic” at the time and had asked for help.

“The companion [McKinnon] He said they could help and tried to defuse the situation. The robber was looking for the keys, he wanted to escape. I wanted to go back to Hamilton, “the Raglan woman said at the time.

The resident said something happened and McKinnon changed his tone.

“I was less calm and [Garson] it just seemed to change in that moment. Then he broke the window with the barrel of the gun, put the gun through the window and shot him twice. “

Garson then fled to Hamilton in the caravan and eventually abandoned it on the eastern outskirts of the city near Gordonton.

McKinnon’s body was inside.

Three of McKinnon’s brothers flew to Hamilton for Garson’s first court appearance.

Sister Emmeline, 39, said at the time that it distressed her to think of her “terrifying” final moments.

“I feel completely powerless. As an older sister, I wish I had been there to defend and protect him,” she said.

“It’s a horrible idea to know that he was alone when he died.”

The three brothers, with their sister Jessica Mary, watched yesterday’s court hearing through an audiovisual link.

Another of his brothers told the Herald yesterday that Garson’s initial plea of ​​innocence was “extremely cowardly and disrespectful.”

“The least you can do is give us the closure to tell us exactly what happened and why.

“I’m glad he pleaded guilty. None of this will bring our beautiful Sean back, we can’t hear him play music, watch him surf or see the beautiful house he would have built.”

His younger brother was a talented musician who played guitar and bass. He also wrote songs.

He would light up anywhere he went with “pure joy,” he said.

“Smile their cheeky smiles and joke around and it just brings good vibes. Pure sweetness.”

He wanted Garson locked up for a long time.

“It would be nice to see him receive a long sentence. The sheer violence and lack of remorse shown show that someone is not safe to be in the community.

“The initial guilty plea shows a lack of responsibility.”

He said that the death of his brother had completely devastated the family and that prolonging the judicial process aggravated the situation.

“This behavior is not only aggravating, it shows us that he is a dangerous individual who deserves to be condemned for a long time.”

Buckley said yesterday that he did not need to explain “the magnitude of the impact that the murder of my future husband in my eyes and then threatening to kill me has had on my life and the lives of our loved ones.”

“To be honest, I’m tired of hearing about the killer.

“No punishment he receives will make up for his wrongdoing. I’m glad he finally stopped wasting everyone’s time by pleading guilty.”

The man who bought the gun he used to kill McKinnon from Garson was sentenced for his role in the murder in July.

Roderick James Finlayson is serving a six-month sentence in community detention.

Garson had told him it was so he could practice skeet and duck shooting on a farm.

At Finlayson’s sentencing, Buckley told the court that McKinnon’s death had shattered his life and that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, including flashbacks from the event.

“How do I use simple words to describe how the illegal supply of that weapon has destroyed my world?” read your victim impact statement.

“I think his actions allowed the death of my fiancé, the love of my life, and I witnessed it all.”

Now she lived in fear of going out into the dark and camping, was anxious and could not work for nine months after her death.

“You have shattered my relationship with Sean’s family. Now I am single again at 32 when we planned to have babies and build a house this year.

“Basically, I am starting my life from scratch again, all the time crying to my soulmate, having memories of that night and waiting for a slow process of justice that will see me in and out of court, at least until the end of this year.” .

Buckley is expected to attend Garson’s sentencing in December.

The sentence has been postponed to allow McKinnon’s family time to make the necessary arrangements to enter New Zealand and carry out quarantine procedures.