Grieving father's fury after Nelson shooting

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HAPPY PARENTS: Troy Minto with partner Elisha Maunder and baby daughter Faith Jane.

COLIN SMITH/ The Nelson Mail

ACCUSED: Blair Robert McNaughton, 24, of Richmond, who has been charged with the murder of Troy Minto, enters the back of the Nelson courthouse.

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The circumstances in which Anthony Minto met with his baby granddaughter for the first time yesterday were not how he could ever have imagined.

The father of Saturday's shooting victim Troy Minto, arrived at the Nelson District Court yesterday filled with emotion, but was calmed by a close family member next to him.

The first thing he did following the brief appearance of Blair Robert McNaughton, the 24-year-old Richmond man charged with Troy Minto's murder, was meet his 4 1/2-month-old granddaughter, Faith Jane, for the first time.

"I was planning to come here in three weeks' time to spend Christmas with Troy and my granddaughter. This is the first time I've seen her," a visibly upset Mr Minto said.

"This is not the sort of thing you want to have to deal with at all. Your whole life changes," said Mr Minto, who lives in Australia, but has kept in close regular touch with his son.

He arrived in Nelson on Sunday night, following the death of Troy Minto from a single shotgun blast to the chest at Branford Park on Saturday evening.

Troy Minto's partner of 2 1/2 years, Elisha Maunder – the mother of the couple's daughter, Faith Jane – was in yesterday's packed courtroom gallery who watched the brief appearance of the five men facing charges in relation to Saturday's fatal shooting.

The five appeared in court amid tight security because of tensions following the shooting.

Armed police with rifles kept guard at the courthouse entrance, while numerous policemen were also present inside the courtroom for the first appearance of the accused.

Members of the public were searched and scanned with metal detectors before entering the courthouse.

McNaughton's appearance in court was met with virtual silence from the gallery, but Anthony Minto simmered with anger and was warned by a relative next to him to "just be good".

Ms Maunder swore at McNaughton as he was led from the courtroom.

McNaughton was also jointly charged with unlawful assembly and possessing a pump-action Mossberg shotgun along with the four others – Issac Crawford Warren, 20, a labourer of Nelson, Jared Matthew Perry, 22, a bartender of Nelson, Samual Ingram Gillbanks, 22, a labourer of Nelson, and Blake Paul Cunnard, 23, of Timaru.

All five were mainly devoid of any emotion. They were all remanded in custody by consent and without plea until 10am on Friday.

Ms Maunder told The Nelson Mail Troy would help anyone he could and that's what he was doing when he died.

"It had nothing to do with him or us. All he was doing was helping a mate out."

Police have said Troy Minto was shot after two groups of men gathered to fight because of a dispute over a woman, who was not connected to Troy Minto.

Ms Maunder said Troy was an "awesome dad" and having a child changed his life.

"He loved Faith very much. He was a great dad, and he was so awesome at the birth. He stuck by me and never left my side.

"When Faith Jane was born he had the mintest grin," she said.

Ms Maunder, a former Nelson hairdressing student, met Troy at his mother's home.

She was today being comforted by friend Star Thompson, also a former hairdressing student, who was in the throes of early labour with the baby she is having with Troy's brother, Cayden. The women are grateful the children will grow up as close cousins.

Meanwhile, in a twist to the case, three Nelson men have been arrested for breaking into the Fountain Pl rental property in Nelson where some of the men charged in relation to the shooting lived. The men, aged 20, 22 and 23, were charged with unlawfully being on a property just before midday yesterday.

Police would not comment about what the men were doing on the property, but Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy said the tenants had received an eviction notice some time ago and the house was being vacated.

"But that's a civil matter, not a police matter."

Mr McCoy said there would be no more arrests in relation to the homicide inquiry, and would not comment on whether Troy Minto's friends were likely to be charged with anything.

Police were continuing to speak to witnesses. The area where Troy Minto died was blessed in a ceremony yesterday.