Ewen Macdonald was charged with murdering his brother-in-law Scott Guy. The Crown argued that he killed Guy with the farm's shotgun over tensions about the future of the family farm in Feilding.

Scott Guy was shot dead on the driveway of his Aorangi Rd house in Feilding on the morning of July 8, 2010. The farmer was on his way to do the milking when he was shot twice - first in the throat and then in the face and arms.

Anna Macdonald is Scott Guy's sister and Ewen Macdonald's wife. She told the court that their life had never been more perfect in the period before her brother was killed. And when her husband was arrested for the murder, she just wanted answers.

Kylee Guy, Scott Guy's widow, was pregnant with her second child when her husband was killed. She fought back tears several times during the trial, and told the court how she couldn't bring herself to spend a single night at the couple's Feilding home after the shooting.

Defence lawyer Greg King told the court Ewen Macdonald was guilty of some "despicable" crimes against Scott Guy and he would be punished for them - but Macdonald was no murderer. "There is not simply reasonable doubt in this case, but there is an absolute abundance of it," he told the jury.

Crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk argued that Ewen Macdonald murdered Scott Guy against a backdrop of tensions over the future of both men at the Feilding farm. Macdonald waited at the end of Guy's driveway in the early-morning darkness and shot him, he said. Vanderkolk told the jury: "Don't be scared or frightened out of finding him guilty."

Bryan Guy, Scott Guy's father, learned about his son's death during a 22-second phone call from Ewen Macdonald. In court, he admitted that he lied to police when questioned about his double-barrelled shotgun.

Simon Asplin - one of three people on the Guy family farm around the time of the murder - received a barrage of questions from defence lawyer Greg King about his behaviour.

Jo Guy, Scott Guy's mother, found out something "terrible" had happened when her husband rang her on the morning of her son's death. When she arrived at the cordon, she asked Macdonald what happened. They hugged and he said: "I don't know, I don't know, I think he was shot," she told the court.

Callum Boe was involved in damaging Scott Guy's home with Ewen Macdonald. One house was burnt down and another scrawled with obscene graffiti in the months leading up to Guy's death. His alibi for the murder was read out to the jury, who heard Boe had moved to Queenstown in March 2010.