By Rachel Tiffen and Sandra Conchie
Slain Tauranga woman Teressa Gunn and her former partner had a history of domestic conflict resulting in police callouts. The man has been charged in connection with this week's Greerton attacks.
Ms Gunn's father Dave Gunn confirmed there was a history of domestic violence at the Mansels Rd house where she and former partner Jason Reihana once lived together. He understood police were frequently called to the home.
A former neighbour has also told the Bay of Plenty Times of the couple's long history of domestic incidents, describing it as reminiscent of the movie Once Were Warriors.
Ms Gunn and her new partner Andrew Grabner were killed and Ms Gunn's brother-in-law Wiki Ngarimu suffered serious injuries in Sunday night's attack.
It is understood Mr Ngarimu has been treated for stab wounds after allegedly trying to protect the other two from Reihana.
Reihana, 33, was yesterday charged with possession of an offensive weapon and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in a bedside hearing in Tauranga Hospital.
Ms Gunn's Hamilton-based father told the Bay of Plenty Times he had learned that his daughter had screamed at Reihana that Mr Grabner was "her new baby" before the attack happened.
Reihana, he said, never got over splitting up with his daughter in June.
"There was a bit of jealousy over Andrew being with her. He was very possessive and had a temper."
Speculation that his daughter had been carrying Mr Grabner's child was wrong, he said. "She had her tubes tied so couldn't have a baby."
Mr Gunn said of Reihana: "(He) would turn up out of the blue whenever he felt like it, sometimes with the kids".
Past and present Mansels Rd residents confirmed that violence was commonplace at number 128.
Former resident Donna Davey, who lived next door to the former couple from the start of 2001 for three years, said there was a long history of domestic incidents at the address during that time.
Ms Davey said the shouting and screaming began almost immediately after the couple and their two children - the older one know to her as Te Tawhero was about three at the time, and their new baby - moved in next door a month after she moved into the street.
"The tirade of verbal abuse and foul language between the couple, or directed at the two young children, just never stopped - especially when Teressa and Jason had been drinking. It was like living next door to Once Were Warriors."
She said after massive fights between the couple things would cool down for a while after police visits but it didn't take long for the situation to heat up again.
She said despite many attempts to befriend the couple, both were stand-offish neighbours.
"He really frightened me. He had such a booming voice, which he would use to hurl constant abuse at Teressa, especially when he was jealous if she'd been out drinking on her own."
Ms Davey said she moved to Papamoa because she could no longer stand to live next to such a hostile environment.
"It got so bad that I and my children were too scared to spend a lot of time in our own backyard."
Ms Davey said she once called Child, Youth and Family out of concern for the children. "I just couldn't stand by and watch these poor babies suffer any more. The whole set-up was an unhealthy situation for them. But if the authorities came to the house, it didn't appear to make much difference."
Further details have also emerged about Mr Grabner, whose full name was George Andrew Grabner. He was a 39-year-old Tauranga plasterer. His body was found further down Mansels Rd.
He had just employed his brother-in-law Mr Ngarimu at his new plastering firm.
His Whangarei family are "still in shock" and planning a funeral for this weekend.
Grieving father George Grabner said he had heard only two weeks ago from his son (known as Andrew) that he was going out with a girl named Teressa.
He and his wife had never met her, or knew her last name, he said today from his home in Whangarei.
"I didn't really know anything about her or her family, or anything about what really happened.
"Andrew was a good son, a generous dear well-loved person, our whole family is still in shock over this. We haven't even seen him (Andrew's body) yet and we are waiting to hear from the coroner to do that."
Mr Grabner said his family moved to Whangarei in 1976 and Andrew and his two older brothers had attended school in the area. He said Andrew had been a chip-stopper and his work had taken around the country to Auckland and Tauranga but he had not lived in Whangarei for more than 20 years.
A funeral service would most likely to be in Whangarei on Sunday, Mr Grabner said.
Meanwhile, Mr Gunn is furious at the late release of his daughter's body by the coroner. The family was promised the autopsy would be finished by late yesterday afternoon but her body did not reach the Hamilton address till early this morning.
His middle daughter - sibling of Faye Tawhiti and Claire, Liam and John Gunn - was now resting at home "looking as lovely as ever" but other families shouldn't have to go through what they had, he said.
"But I can't thank the Tauranga police enough for what they've done".
A funeral would be held in Opononi at 11am on Friday. About 60 or 70 family members were gathered at the Gunn home last night, waiting to pay their final respects.
Mr Gunn said his daughter lived in Opononi for seven years, giving birth to and losing her first child Mateau, who would be 10, to cot-death there.
The family plan to bury Ms Gunn with her daughter.
"She would love to have the tangi at Opononi. She always planned to go back there."
Mr Gunn said Reihana's family was stunned by the deaths and "so embarrassed that he could have done it".
They had not been to the Gunn home to farewell his daughter because they were too ashamed.
The father of Ms Gunn's first two children - the late Mateau and Te Tawhero, 8 - Bance Williams from Opononi, remained good friends with Ms Gunn after they split and was always there for her.
"He's here with us at the moment.
"He's taking it pretty hard," Mr Gunn said.
He said his daughter was just starting to get her life together, having kicked a previous drug habit and was happy with her new partner.
She was days away from obtaining a heavy traffic driving license.
"She wanted to be a truck driver. We praised her and praised her."
TOP STORY: Slain woman's life of domestic violence
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