Millie Elder-Holmes was among hundreds of friends and family who turned out to pay tribute to Connor Morris in Auckland today.
Millie Elder-Holmes was among hundreds of friends and family who turned out to pay tribute to Connor Morris in Auckland today.
The emotionally-charged memorial for the son of Head Hunters associate Chris Morris saw a convoy of motorbikes travel 30km from Swanson to Ellerslie, stopping off at Massey en route, and the location where the 26-year-old died last year.
Morris, 26, suffered a fatal head injury after an incident outside a party on August 3 last year. Dressed in all black and large black sunglasses today, Elder-Holmes, the adopted daughter of the late Sir Paul Holmes and Morris' partner of six years, cradled his head as he lay dying.
Leading the pack on his son's bike this morning, Chris Morris said he did not want today's occasion to be a sad day, but instead, a celebration of his son's life.
"The day went well, it was a good turn-out and that's pretty much it really. It's a good day, not a sad day. It's a celebration," Morris told the New Zealand Herald.
"The New Zealand public has been awesome, there's a lot of nice people in this country without the prejudice."
After departing Morris' Swanson home at 11am, the memorial parade made its way to Don Buck Dr in Massey - otherwise known as "Connor's Corner" - to pay tribute at the place where Morris was fatally injured. It was then travel to the Head Hunters gang's Fight Club 88 building in Ellerslie just before noon, the site which was also used for Morris' funeral service last year.
Millie Elder at the memorial today. Photo / Doug Sherring
Chris Morris leads the memorial for for his murdered son Connor Morris. Photo / Michael Craig
Chris Morris and Millie Elder-Holmes at the Connor Morris memorial bike ride. Photo / Michael Craig
Photo / Doug Sherring
"Inside we unveiled a plaque with Connor's name on it," Morris said.
At times on this morning's ride, motorbikes spanned all three lanes of the motorway and there was minimal police presence throughout.
A social media tribute page, "RIP Connor Morris", set up by Morris' family had drawn almost 31,000 endorsements from supporters and helped spread the word of the tribute event.
"The last week, there was something like 85,000 views," Morris said.
The ride went ahead as planned, despite a police raid at the Head Hunter's property earlier this week as part of a wider police probe, dubbed Operation Sylvester, targeting the alleged large-scale production and supply of methamphetamine by members and affiliates of the Head Hunters gang.
Since Morris' death, mourners have also created a roadside memorial garden, near where he was fatally injured, for family and friends to visit the site and pay their respects.
With tomorrow marking the one-year anniversary of Morris death, it also marks the start of a High Court murder trial for the man charged with killing him, Michael Thrift Murray.
