Euan Mackey, 59, died from stab wounds inflicted by Quinntinn Davis who says it was self-defence.
Euan Mackey’s last night alive was spent completing projects of love like a step ladder so his mokopuna could reach the grapes.
But as the sun set over the Mangamuka hills, his daughter cried in his arms ridden with anxiety over escalating tensions with the neighbours and a weird feeling settling in her stomach.
“Then they came,” Taygan Mackey said in testimony as she described the arrival of the trio now on trial for the murder of her father.
They are Quinntinn Davis, his wife Denise Davis and their nephew Joshua Tana, all charged with Mackey’s murder on March 3, 2024.
Denise has also been charged with possession of an offensive weapon and Tana injuring with intent to cause GBH and two charges of male assaults female on Mackey’s daughter and wife.
It is Quinntinn’s defence he was acting in self-defence while Tana and Denise maintain, there was no plan to murder Mackey and they did not intend to participate in nor kill him.
On Tuesday, Taygan explained in detail to a jury at the High Court at Whangārei the events that led to that fateful night.
After returning from Australia with her two young children in search of stability, she was at her marae one day when her aunt offered her the opportunity to live in her house while she was away.
“I wasn’t planning on being there for a long time, with respect I was happy to do that. She was lovely,” Taygan said.
After sorting paperwork, Taygan moved in on January 1, 2024 not knowing anything of the landowners on the block next door.
A month later, she said Denise walked into her house and accused her of calling the police about a horse.
“I’d never seen her before, never heard of her, she just waltzed in like she owned the place.”
Taygan managed to move the conversation outside away from her children where Denise changed the subject, wanting to know who gave her permission to be in the house.
“She came across ignorant, very ignorant, saying that I’m not from here. I was born and raised here.”
Denise allegedly went on to say her whānau were coming up to evict her and as she walked away, delivered a startling threat.
“She turned around and said ‘do you know my husband wants to stab and kill your dad?’” Taygan said in evidence.
Feeling “baffled”, Taygan watched Denise back into a gate and then drive off.
Two days later, Taygan saw Denise and Quinntinn driving past her house on their side of the fence allegedly smirking at her which made her uneasy.
She called her parents and her mother Adrienne arrived.
A recorded conversation ensued between the two families where Taygan raised Denise’s comments about her husband allegedly wanting to kill her father.
Quinntinn allegedly told Taygan she did not have to worry and she was safe, however Denise allegedly continued the intimidation saying “We don’t keep promises around here’.
“Denise is the one that kept throwing the threats around,” Taygan said.
On the weekend of March 1, Taygan was in Whangārei when she received a call from her father that there was a padlock on the gate to her house.
“It was instant anxiety,” Taygan recalled.
Her mother told her not to return because tensions were clearly escalating, but with work commitments and kids’ school the next day, Taygan felt she had to.
At around 6.25pm Adrienne called the police to alert them they were going to unlock a padlock on a property that was experiencing a family feud around ownership.
“They’re sitting there, waiting for me to come home,” the 111 call said played in court.
Her parents escorted her to the house, cut the padlock and set about helping her settle the kids in for the evening.
Euan was outside making a stepladder for his mokos to reach the grapes, refurnishing old cast iron pans and then made mussel fritters.
“He was doing a project in the back of his car while the sun set, it was so beautiful ... everything was ok.”
With anxiety building she recalled “feeling weird” and crying in her father’s arms and said “What do we do?”
“Then they came. And he was dead in half an hour,” she said breaking down in tears.
When they went out to the car with the Davis’ and Tana inside, Taygan said she smelt alcohol and believes they were high on something.
“I was completely sober, my dad was completely sober, we know a drunken person when we see one.”
Taygan said Denise was still throwing the threats of no promises being kept while Quinntinn was allegedly huffing and puffing repeating the word “F***”.
Her parents told Quinntinn to come back tomorrow so they could talk but he allegedly said “nah you’re getting evicted tonight”.
Tana then allegedly punched Taygan in the face as Quinntinn sliced Euan’s face across the neck and chin.
She made a beeline for her dad to protect him as he was stabbed another four times to the back area with a hunting knife.
While her dad lay dying in her arms, Denise allegedly continued to say “that’s what you get, you should have just said sorry”.
“I was dying with my Dad,” she said about the moments she held him.
The trio did not leave immediately rather Denise was allegedly rubbing her husband’s shoulders saying “you did it baby”.
“It felt like they were waiting to make sure he was dead,” Taygan said in evidence.
Taygan said she was repeating over and over “I love you, I love you” as he took two final breaths.
“Then he just died.”
The trial continues before Justice Christine Gordon.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
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