Molenaar family at loss as to what set Jan off

ROGER MORONEY
The spark that ignited Jan Molenaar's deadly fury may have been as simple as an interruption in his daily routine, his brother Peter said as he told of how his big brother knew he was going to die.
``He was not the sort of person who was going to do 20 years in prison,' he said, adding his other brother Hans had received a text from their desperate brother at 1.30pm on Friday which said ``love you bro'.
Just over three hours later heavily armed police opened fire on the house from close range as they retrieved the body of their fallen comrade, Senior Constable Len Snee.
``After he told me (about the text) I knew then that something was going to happen.'
He said his brother had got himself into ``a situation' he had no way out of. A situation which may have exploded simply because his regular morning walk had been disrupted by arriving home to find police at his house.
Mr Molenaar said while his brother's partner would have allowed the officers into the house, his brother would not have.
``They might have just said something or laid a hand on him - just something that set him off.'
Friends of the gunman spoke of how he was a private person who stuck to his regular routines and who would become agitated if anyone went onto his property.
One friend said Jan Molenaar did not drink, smoke or take drugs and was fastidious about keeping his house and property tidy.
Peter Molenaar said his brother had become paranoid about the police - believing they were watching him.
He told of how two weeks ago his brother and partner went for a drive to look at houses in the Knightsbridge area.
He said their car's registration plate had been caught on a private security camera and passed on to police, who he said called Molenaar to check out what he was doing there.
``The last time I saw him he said `they're watching my house'.'
A combination of factors would have built up inside his brother's head, Peter Molenaar said.
Factors such as suffering paranoia, his need for privacy and routine, and possible recent reflecting on the suicide of his brother Johan six years ago and not having had a lot of contact with his adult son through the years since his first relationship ended.
Jan Molenaar grew up in Napier and went to Nelson Park Primary, Napier Intermediate and what was then Colenso High School.
Like his four brothers he was into sport and fitness, but at times could be aggressive.
``I grew up with him. I had to watch what I said sometimes ... I got a few dongs around the head,' Peter Molenaar said.
He said Jan had a different father from him and his other three brothers, and described Jan's father as ``a hard man'.
Jan Molenaar worked for NZ Railways until about 20 years ago when he was made redundant, and had worked through the years in security and pub jobs.
He was a ``natural' builder and built a small flat at the rear of his Chaucer Road property. He would often go down to Hardinge Road to collect rocks and stones to build with.
Peter Molenaar scotched stories about him being tied up with a motorcycle gang and feuding with the Mongrel Mob.
``Naa, all that stuff about the mob was years ago, when he was 25.'
He had been in a fight with a gang member and there had been some recriminations - but in recent years he had ``kept himself to himself'.
``He was just getting on with life. We just don't understand what's happened.'
Family and people closest to the gunman all said they had been stunned and surprised to hear about the shootings.
But Peter Molenaar said his brother had been a complex character to get to know. He needed to be approached and spoken to carefully, and it was impossible to underline exactly what had made him ``explode'.