Agony for family as gun victim's postcard arrives

Tiki Hunia's grandmother Irihapeti Hunia received a postcard from him days after he was killed while on holiday with his wife in Kingston. Photo / Supplied

A week after their grandson Tiki Hunia was shot dead in Jamaica trying to defend his wife, Dick and Irihapeti Hunia - who brought him up - received a postcard from him.

On it, he wrote about how happy he was having just renewed his wedding vows in Las Vegas with wife Nickie-Jean at an Elvis Presley-themed venue.

"That was pretty harsh," Tiki's uncle Richard Hunia said. "My mother just broke down again.

"He would write a letter just saying 'To my nan and koro' and then address it, no last names. That's how he was.

"We have a video of his wedding and we were going to play it but we thought it would be too hard to watch."

Two weeks ago, Mr and Mrs Hunia, who lived in Hong Kong, were on a second honeymoon in Kingston when two gunmen entered their guest house.

One of the men hit Mrs Hunia over the head and Mr Hunia leaped to her defence.

After a scuffle, he was shot, and died a short time later in hospital.

An uncle and brother arrived in New Zealand with his body on Wednesday after struggling in Jamaica to have it released.

They were told it may be a couple of months before the correct documentation was organised allowing them to fly him back via Los Angeles, but the Jamaican police commissioner hurried the process.

The Jamaican Government put the two up in a resort while they were in the Caribbean and Air New Zealand picked up the tab for a night at the Los Angeles Hilton during their stopover. Richard Hunia said he even received a call from the Air New Zealand pilot's wife saying his nephew's body was on board the flights.

About 200 people welcomed Mr Hunia's body on to Ruaihona Marae at Te Teko on Wednesday and at least a further 100 went to see him yesterday, including friends who had flown over from Hong Kong.

His wife has not left his side, sleeping next to the coffin with her mother.

She arrived in the country a couple of days before the body and had visited the clifftop in Ohope where they married in 2007.

Richard Hunia said Nickie-Jean was not sure if she would return to Hong Kong.

"To be honest, at the moment she isn't thinking that far ahead, she's still coming to terms with everything."

A tangi and funeral service for Mr Hunia will be held tomorrow and he will be buried at the nearby marae of Kokohinau.

The whanau has established a trust fund with Westpac called the Tiki Stardust Hunia Appeal.

Donations can be made at any branch.