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Sean McKinnon would help anyone, even a stranger who hit his trailer in the middle of the night.
But that stranger, Mark Ronald Garson, didn’t give him a chance.
He shot McKinnon twice, in front of his fiancée, Bianca Buckley and even while McKinnon tried to comply with his demands.
Mark Garson had pleaded guilty to the murder of Australian tourist Sean McKinnon and threatened to kill McKinnon’s fiancee, Bianca Buckley.
Garson threatened to kill Buckley and would not let her kiss her dying fiancé before leaving with him.
The crimes were committed in August 2019 near Raglan, and Garson was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.
You must turn 15 years and four months before parole is considered, Judge Christine Gordon said in Hamilton Superior Court.
Garson, 24, was in Te Toto Gorge for his arranged suicide, defense attorney Charles Bean said.
He was stranded when a friend he was using methamphetamine with stayed in the car. So he headed for the caravan.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY / Things
Mark Garson was sentenced to life in prison in Hamilton Superior Court on Wednesday. He is represented on the day he presented his supplications.
Buckley addressed Garson directly in court, saying, “I was amazed that a human being could do what he had just done before my eyes.”
“I didn’t have a single moment to sit down with my love.”
When she pleaded, Garson said, “No, I’ll take care of him,” and closed the door between them before walking away, he said.
The big waves had caused Buckley to stop surfing the day before, and McKinnon had promised to try again.
“Little did we know there would be no tomorrow for him,” he said.
Garson took home a donor, an artist, a musician and a beautiful spirit, Buckley said.
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The couple had been sleeping in a motorhome in the Te Toto Gorge parking lot, near Raglan.
Sean McKinnon was one of six siblings who grew up in a home with violence and alcohol, said his sister Emmeline McKinnon.
She was devastated to lose the kind-natured little brother who had beaten the odds.
“Years of my life spent taking care of Sean and everything has turned to dust,” she told Garson.
“Sean meant everything to those who loved him, but his death made no sense.”
He would have helped Garson if he had asked, he said.
“Sean would have had a thousand reasons to choose a life of crime,” said another sister, Mary McKinnon, “but he chose love.
“Sean helped complete strangers, and he would have been trying to do that when he died.”
He was the brother who encouraged her to catch bigger waves, made her try strange foods, and was destined to help her paint her house, which was left half done.
McKinnon’s two more siblings, Jessica and Lachlan, and their close friend Wayne Such also read her statements.
Mark Taylor / Stuff
Police found Sean McKinnon’s body in a trailer in Gordonton, about 70 kilometers from where he was shot.
Crown prosecutor Jacinda Hamilton said the murder was an explosive violent episode.
“There was a high level of insensitivity.
“This man did indeed execute Mr. McKinnon when Mr. McKinnon was doing everything he could to help him.”
What happened was a real tragedy, defense attorney Charles Bean said, but Garson’s methamphetamine addiction and mental health issues provided context.
Garson attempted several attempts on his life in the weeks leading up to the shooting and was seen by the crisis team after his arrest.
He hoped to complete rehab and help others, Bean said.
Garson’s cruel act occurred in a caravan that should have been a sanctuary for McKinnon and Buckley, Judge Gordon said.
Garson had said that he was hallucinating and hearing voices at the time.
The court must impose a life sentence for murder and Judge Gordon must decide the minimum prison term.
She imposed 15 1/2 years, after granting discounts for Garson’s guilty pleas and personal factors.
If he could stay away from methamphetamine, reports indicated that he would be much less likely to offend, he said.
However, even if he is released, Garson could be removed at any time if deemed necessary.
He was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to kill Buckley, to be served at the same time.
