On the morning of July 8, 2010, Scott Guy woke up and prepared for work like any other day.
He was on ‘earlies’ – a shift that started around 4:50am.
After checking TradeMe, Facebook and his email account around 4:40, Mr Guy got into his ute and drove down the driveway. The farm shed was 1.4km away.
It was pitch black, overcast and had been raining throughout the night. When he got to the end of the driveway, he noticed the gates were closed and got out to open them.
Mr Guy pushed one gate aside and lifted the other one out of the way. It is thought that this is the moment he was confronted by his killer.
Mr Guy was shot in the throat, at close range, with a shotgun. Evidence given at the trial into his murder suggests the killer was just three to four metres away.
Mr Guy fell to the ground, flat on his back. Other shots could have been fired.
The killer then bolted from the scene, undetected, but left distinctive wavy boot impressions around Mr Guy’s body. Some of those impressions filled with blood.
Around the same time, three puppies from a nearby shed were reported missing. The same boot impressions were found there too.
In the two years following Mr Guy’s murder, the nation was captivated by these events.
Why and how could this happen to an idyllic farming community and tight-knit family?
Here is how it all unfolded:
July 8, 2010 – Scott Guy, 31, is found murdered at the end of his driveway by neighbour David Berry at 7am.
July 11, 2010 – Police are stumped by the murder and have very few leads.
July 12, 2010 – Scott Guy’s parents Bryan and Jo appear on Campbell Live and appeal for their son’s murderer to come forward.
July 15, 2010 – Police head out in force on Manawatu roads around Feilding, questioning motorists about the shooting.
July 16, 2010 – Funeral for Scott Guy is held at Anglican Church in Feilding. Mr Guy’s casket arrives on the back of his ute, the same one he was driving eight days earlier. The 300-capacity church is full and 500 extras are outside.
July 20, 2010 – Police confirm that Scott and Kylee’s house was vandalised in the past. Windows were smashed and walls were tagged with offensive graffiti.
July 21, 2010 – Police reveal the disappearance of three puppies from Scott and Kylee’s barn the night of the murder. They were being sold for $700 each and police want to know if there was a link. Campbell Live joins Bryan Guy on the farm to discuss life without Scott.
July 23, 2010 – Extra police are added to the murder investigation. Thirty seven are on the hunt for his killer.
August 1, 2010 – Scott’s dad makes another plea to the public for more information, telling reporters ‘someone must know something’.
August 5, 2010 – Police renew appeal for information from the public
August 11, 2010 – 60 Minutes runs a story on the murder and speaks to the Guy family, including Anna Macdonald.
August 16, 2010 – Police interview local burglars and other known criminals in Feilding.
August 20, 2010 – Scott Guy’s pregnant widow Kylee speaks out for the first time about her husband’s murder, pleading for the killer to turn themselves in. She speaks to Campbell Live afterwards, discussing life after Scott’s death.
August 29, 2010 – Police block reward offer by family of murdered schoolteacher Lois Dear who was killed in 2006.
September 8, 2010 – Bryan Guy tells the Manawatu Standard he is confident his son’s killer will be brought to justice.
September 16, 2010 – Police head south to Invercargill where Scott Guy had spent time with his brother-in-law Ewen Macdonald at a dairying conference a fortnight before he was killed.
September 17, 2010 – Kylee gives birth to second baby boy – Drover. Kylee and Scott already had a two-year-old named Hunter.
October 2, 2010 – Kylee says she may never return to the couple’s Aorangi Rd house.
October 7, 2010 – Police appeal for information on the murder case on television show Police Ten-7. The show prompts around 50 calls from the public.
October 7, 2010 – Police track down Scott Guy’s friends on Facebook.
October 27, 2010 – A Manawatu man admits giving false evidence to police about the case. The man was a 34-year-old inmate at Manawatu Prison.
December 18, 2010 – Kylee makes another plea for her husband’s killer to “do the right and decent thing” and confess to the crime.
December 21, 2010 – A teenager is referred to Youth Aid for giving false information to police investigating the murder case.
December 22, 2010 – Police identify the author of a vexatious letter sent to the Guy family and they are charged with wasting police time.
February 8, 2011 – Police release photographs of obscene graffiti painted on Scott and Kylee’s house during its construction. The house had the phrases “Fuken bitch slappr” and “Fuckn Hore” painted on an exterior wall. Windows were smashed and interior walls were kicked in also. Scott Guy’s friend speaks to Campbell Live about the events leading up to the murder.
February 9, 2011 – Kylee releases a statement through her sister Chanelle Bullock about the graffiti saying it was disturbing to both Kylee and Scott. She says they have no enemies.
March 18, 2011 – Kylee makes another emotional plea for her husband’s killer to come forward.
The Arrest
April 7, 2011 – Police arrest a 30-year-old man with Scott’s murder after a morning of questioning. The man is also charged with the arson and the wilful damage of Scott and Kylee’s home and a number of other offences of which the charges remain suppressed. The man’s identity is not revealed.
April 8, 2011 – Ewen Macdonald appears in Palmerston North District Court charged with murder and a number of other offences. He is Scott’s brother-in-law and business partner. He stays silent and doesn’t look at his family when he appears in the dock. The charges shock but relieve the Feilding community, with Scott’s neighbour Alison Rankin saying it will rip families in the area apart. Outside court, Bryan Guy says the news is gut-wrenching and they hold out hope the police have got it wrong.
April 9, 2011 – Ewen’s wife Anna, who is Scott’s sister, says she will stand beside her murder-accused husband until is it proved he did it.
April 10, 2011 – Scott’s family request privacy in the wake of Ewen being arrested for the murder.
April 13, 2011 – Anna speaks to 60 Minutes about her husband’s arrest, again saying she won’t believe he is the killer until it is proven.
May 8, 2011 – Scott’s cousin Andrew Marshall is thrown through a glass window at a pub in Perth by a bike gang member.
May 26, 2011 – Macdonald reappears at the Palmerston North District Court and it is confirmed he will defend the murder charge.
July 5, 2011 – The Guy family and Kylee release statements in the lead-up to the one-year anniversary of Scott’s death. The family say they do not expect to overcome their heartbreak, so will have to learn to live with it. Kylee says a part of her has died with Scott.
July 8, 2011 – Scott’s headstone is unveiled to mark the one year anniversary of his death.
September 27, 2011 – Macdonald has a call over at the Palmerston North District Court in preparation for his trail which will be heard at the High Court in Wellington.
The Trial
Week One
- June 5, 2012 – A jury of seven men and five women are sworn in. The Crown and defence make opening statements. It’s Ewen Macdonald’s 32nd birthday. The court hears that Ewen tried to sabotage Scott’s projects.
- June 6, 2012 – Scott’s dad Bryan gives evidence, recalling the phone call he received from Ewen the morning of the murder informing him of it. He says Ewen was ‘distressed and incoherent’. The first man on the scene, David Berry, also describes the moment he found Scott’s body and his subsequent 111 call. Mr Berry said Scott’s throat looked like it had been cut.
- June 7, 2012 – Scott’s sister Nikki gives evidence and says she heard Ewen telling people at the scene that Scott had been shot. Ewen hadn’t seen the body up close and the only people who saw him said his throat had been slit, she says.
- June 8, 2012 –Anna and Scott’s widow Kylee take the stand for the first time recalling the events of the morning of the murder. Both women give teary evidence – watch footage of Kylee. Watch footage of Anna.
- Charlotte Shipman’s summary of week one
Week Two
- June 11, 2012 – Farmhand BJ Worthington recalled that Ewen said the death penalty should be brought back for Scott’s killer.
- June 12, 2012 – Scott’s mum Jo takes the stand and reveals a number of tensions between her son and Ewen. She battles through her evidence, saying “this is bad for my heart…it’s a wonder how people survive these things”. Scott’s brother Callum also takes the stand and tells the court that Scott thought Ewen was trying to take over the farm.
- June 13, 2012 – Kylee takes the stand again, breaking down in tears almost immediately when she is asked to recall the moment she met Scott. She spoke of the animosity between Scott and Ewen. Anna took the stand after Kylee and told the court Ewen was a perfectionist. She recalled how perfect her life was the night before the murder. Her husband broke down in the dock as she did so.
- June 14, 2012 – Police give evidence, revealing how two cars seen on the morning of the murder were never identified and another man smelling of alcohol and cigarettes was also not identified. They ruled out cannabis being related to the case. Ewen’s first police statement is read to the court, detailing his version of events on the day of the murder. He tells police he wondered if he was the target and the killing was aimed at him. Police also reveal they had trouble investigating him without tipping him off.
- June 15, 2012 – A more detailed second statement, which took three days to compile, was also read out. In the statement, he said Scott’s body was ‘limp and flat’ when he saw it that morning. “I didn’t want to look at it,” he said.
- Charlotte Shipman’s summary of week two
Week Three
- June 18, 2012 – The jury is shown a video recording of police interviewing Ewen about the deer theft, the arson and the vandalism. Initially, he denies any involvement in all of the crimes but when police tell him his accomplice Callum Boe has spoken up, he cracks and admits it all. Watch the videos: Part one (the denial), Part two (the admission), Part three (the denial of the murder).
- June 19, 2012 – The jury hears the last of the videos where Ewen says “If there was evidence that proves I done [sic] it, if I was caught, then you’d have to admit to it.
- June 20, 2012 – Ewen’s wife Anna discusses the night of the arson and says when she asked him about it in prison, he said he “did it for a bit of fun, for a laugh”. When the arson happened, she says she never suspected her husband. Bryan Guy also appears, saying his last words to Scott were the day before: “I’ll see you in the morning”. It was also revealed that Ewen was the one who alerted police to the fact that three puppies from a nearby shed were missing.
- June 21, 2012 – Anna recalls her visits to prison after Ewen had been arrested. She says Ewen swore to her that he didn’t kill her brother. She also recalled the night Ewen vandalised Scott and Kylee’s new house. She says she didn’t suspect anything but did sneak out to find Ewen and Callum Boe in the garage ‘fixing the trailer’ for their journey to Ruakaka. Kylee also appears again and says she felt violated after her home was vandalised. She was reduced to tears recalling the day she and Scott walked in on the damage.
- June 22, 2012 – Ewen’s mum Marlene appears on the stand and recalls the morning of the murder. She says Ewen told her he thought Scott had had his throat slit when she went to his house the afternoon of the murder.
- Charlotte Shipman’s summary of week three
Week Four
- June 25, 2012 – The mystery of Ewen’s dive boots is again the focus of the court with police discussing the rarity of the boot’s sole and how hard it was to narrow it down to a Proline W375 boot.
- June 26, 2012 – Pathologist John Rutherford details how Scott was killed, saying it was most likely by one close gun shot to the chin which ricocheted off onto his face, neck and arms. Anna also gives evidence, saying the farm was not big enough to sustain three families.
- June 27, 2012 – The last of the Crown evidence is presented with forensic firearm expert Kevan Walsh taking the stand. He says the killer was 3-4 metres away when the trigger was pulled. Defence lawyer Greg King reveals Ewen will not take the stand. He calls two witnesses – an electrical engineer and a gun expert – who take around an hour before they are finished.
- June 28, 2012 - The Crown presents its summary of their case to the jury, painting Ewen Macdonald as a silent type who didn’t talk about his problems, who fermented and stewed over Scott’s increasing permanence on the farm, who murdered him and covered it up.
- June 29, 2012 – The defence present their summary to the jury, saying the Crown’s case has no reliable evidence and it fails on all counts.
- Charlotte Shipman’s summary of week four
Week Five
- July 2, 2012 - Justice Simon France summarises the case for the jury and advises them on how to make their decision. The jury retires to deliberate.
- Charlotte Shipman’s summary of the trial up to this point.
- July 3, 2012 - The Verdict
- 3:55pm - 3 News breaks into normal programming to report the verdict live.
- 3:57pm - The jury returns a verdict after 11 hours of deliberation: NOT GUILTY. There is an audible gasp from the public gallery. Kylee screams ‘He killed my husband’ after the verdict is read and leaves, family in tow. Anna breaks down in tears. Ewen is taken away supported by court staff.
- 4:30pm - The Guy family make a statement outside court, saying “we must focus on what we have, not what we have lost”.
- 4:40pm – Detective Inspector Sue Schwalger, who headed the investigation, makes a statement outside court. She says she accepts the jury’s decision but police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder.
- 5:30pm - The Feilding community reacts to the news
- 7:00pm - Campbell Live goes live from outside court, summarising an emotional day in court.
- July 4, 2012 – The Aftermath
- 9:15am – Justice Simon France lifts suppression on the fact Ewen’s brother Blair is a police detective. He also lifts suppression on the existence of Ewen Macdonald’s other charges. The detail of the charges remain suppressed.
- 5:00pm - Scott and Kylee’s neighbours Alison and Rob Rankin speak to 3 News about the trial. They say Ewen no longer has a place on the farm and no home to go back to.
- July 5, 2012 – Ewen’s parents Marlene and Kerry release a statement to the media saying they are ‘totally at peace’ with the verdict.
- July 7, 2012 – Kylee breaks her silence from after the trial saying she is still at a loss to understand why Scott was killed and who killed him.
- July 8, 2012 – The Guy family and the Feilding community mark the two year anniversary of Scott’s death. Kylee and the Sensible Sentencing Trust partner up and reveal they intend to hire private investigators to look at all the evidence again.
- July 9, 2012 – The Sensible Sentencing Trust question a defendant’s right to silence, saying it needs to be discussed in the wake of the verdict. They say a number of lawyers have contacted them saying they are ashamed of the system.
July 31, 2012 – Macdonald appears in Palmerston North District Court to fix a date for the sentencing of his other charges but it is delayed until September 14. His suppression is expected to be lifted but remains in place.
Suppression order lapses
August 1, 2012 – Suppression order lapses on Macdonald’s other charges, allowing them to be published. His list of offending includes:
- Criminal damage: Slaughtering 19 calves belonging to Himatangi dairy farmer Paul Barber on the night of August 9, 2007. The calves had been struck on the head with an object.
- Criminal damage: Emptying 16,000 litres of milk from a vat belonging to another Himatangi farmer, Nigel Sexton, on the same night the calves were culled.
- Arson: Burning down an historic Maori whare built in 1888 which was on Mr Sexton’s farm. Macdonald used an LPG bottle and boat fuel to start the fire. The whare was used as a family sleep out and a duck shooter’s shelter.
- Theft: Driving to a nearby farm and shooting two trophy stags. He put them on his trailer and buried them in a pre-dug hole on the Guy family farm, where he was a manager.
- Criminal damage: Burning down an old farm house on the back of removal trailers at the site of Scott and Kylee Guy’s new home. The house and trailers were destroyed.
- Criminal damage: Vandalising Scott and Kylee Guy’s new home once construction had nearly finished.
August 2, 2012 - One of Macdonald’s victims, Nigel Sexton, speaks exclusively with Firstline’s Rachel Smalley about the crimes Macdonald committed against him. Mr Sexton says he is still angry at the pain Macdonald caused his family. Watch Rachel’s extended interview with him.The Sensible Sentencing Trust says the jury should have known about Macdonald’s other offences during the murder trial and asks for laws to be overhauled. Federated Farmers says Macdonald’s actions are “callous” and “cold” and are shocked that a successful dairy farmer could do such acts.
August 6, 2012 – It is revealed Macdonald’s accomplice Callum Boe has been released from prison after serving only halve his two-year sentence.
September 10, 2012 – Kylee Guy and the Sensible Sentencing Trust send letters to the Government asking for Macdonald to be given a cumulative sentence for his six crimes rather than a concurrent sentence.
Sentencing
September 14, 2012 – Macdonald appears at the Palmerston North High Court and is sentenced to five year’s prison.
Concurrent:
- Nine months for poaching the Hocken family’s deer
- Nine months for emptying the milk from Nigel Sexton’s dairy shed
- One year for slaughtering 19 calves with a hammer
- Two years for vandalising Kylee and Scott’s new family home.
Cumulative
- Two years for burning down Mr Sexton’s duck hunting whare
- Three years for burning down Kylee and Scott Guy’s old farmhouse
The charges were treated in two sections by the judge - the two offenses against the Guys and the four other farm charges. Macdonald received credit for a guilty plea but the fact it was only after intensive police interviews and an admission from his partner in crime Callum Boe was taken into effect.
September 18, 2012 – Scott’s parents Bryan and Jo spend the day giving interviews to media. They speak to Campbell Live about how they dealing with their son’s murder, despite no one being held to account. They say the support from around the country has helped them get through the nightmare.
September 19, 2012 – Bryan Guy speaks to Firstline’s Rachel Smalley and says they plan to stay on the farm until all the bills are paid then they will sell it. He says he often thinks about the farm management structure before Scott’s death and if he could have prevented the tension between Ewen and Scott. But he says there is no point dwelling on it because nothing will change what happened.
September 29, 2012 – 60 Minutes producer Phill Prendeville blogs about the two-year ordeal, the resilience of the Guy family and interviewing Anna Guy. He says Anna’s “heart is on her sleeve and by being such an open book she is, it appears to me, purging herself of the massive black shadow that has hung over her”.
September 30, 2012 – 60 Minutes broadcasts an exclusive interview with Anna Guy. In the interview, Anna says she doesn’t know if the jury’s decision was right but has accepted it. She says her marriage with Ewen was full of secrets and lies and may have been unhealthy from the start - they were more like flatmates than man and wife, she says. Anna also says Ewen has deep-seated psychological issues and should seek therapy.
November 3, 2012 – Macdonald’s lawyer Greg King is found dead lying next to his car at the end of a remote road overlooking Wellington Harbour. Police say the death is not suspicious. Tributes to the brilliant legal mind flow in.
November 9, 2012 – Hundreds turn up to Wellington’s St Paul’s Cathedral for Mr King’s farewell. His wife Catherine Milnes-King makes an emotional tribute to the man she says was her soulmate and the most gentle, loving and affectionate person she knew. “We were the love of each other’s lives. He was my soulmate. He felt empathy and other peoples’ burden. He was often moved to tears,” she says.
December 11, 2012 – Macdonald appears before the Parole Board to hear if he will be released after serving a third of his five-year sentence.
----
The Scott Guy Family Trust has been established by Hastings lawyers Hansen & Bate for the purpose of assisting Kylee with ongoing costs she will now face as a solo mother to Hunter and Drover.
Donations can be made at any branch of Westpac bank:
Acc. 03-1517-0042662-000
3 News
source: newshub archive
