Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Police finish Northland gunman Quinn Patterson investigation, findings remain secret

Sam Hurley
By Sam Hurley
NZ Herald Print Editor·NZ Herald·
15 Jun, 2018 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

First look at the scene of Wednesday's tragic double fatal shooting just outside Whangarei.

Police have completed an investigation into double-killer Quinn Patterson and the fatal shootings of a property manager and her daughter, but the findings will remain hidden from the public - for now.

Patterson shot dead Wendy Campbell and Natanya Campbell at his home north-east of Whangārei during what was supposed to be a routine property inspection on July 26 last year.

The psychotic gunman also wounded contractor Jeff Pipe, who managed to escape in his bullet-riddled Suzuki jeep.

The Armed Offenders Squad attempted to reach the Campbells by forming a human shield around medically trained officers, but were pinned down as Patterson unleashed a hail of bullets from his arsenal of weapons.

The 55-year-old's Mount Tiger Rd home then went up in flames, and Patterson's burned remains were later discovered at the scene.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Police have complete its investigation into the fatal shootings, but will not yet release the findings. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Police have complete its investigation into the fatal shootings, but will not yet release the findings. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Operation Weather was then launched - the police investigation into Patterson and the shootings.

Detective Superintendent Dave Lynch told the Weekend Herald yesterday that the investigation was now complete.

A file was being prepared for submission to the Coroner, he said, but Lynch would not release any of the findings or comment further before a Coronial enquiry.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A spokeswoman for the Coroner's office said investigations were continuing.

Patterson's best friend and former partner Christina White, who revealed his final siege-like moments to the Weekend Herald, said she had been anxiously waiting for the results of the investigations.

"I still can't believe what happened and I know he was driven to this, and no one knew he was so close to the edge," she said yesterday.

"[A] very angry man inside and out," she said of Patterson.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Shot in cold blood: Mother, daughter in shooting tragedy named

26 Jul 05:00 PM
New Zealand|crime

Quinn Patterson's 'loss of quiet enjoyment'

28 Jul 04:28 AM
New Zealand|crime

Man arrested over supplying of guns to killer

08 Aug 03:55 AM
New Zealand

Mum, daughter murdered: How killer got his guns

20 Jun 06:00 AM

White has been interviewed by Queensland Police on behalf of police in New Zealand.

Copies of several of her emails and communications with Patterson were taken to form part of the investigation, she said.

Some of the emails between White and Patterson, provided to the Weekend Herald, indicated Patterson was "boarding up" and preparing for a firefight.

"They're going to come out of the cities and they're going to attack," he said.

Quinn Patterson loved his Mercedes-Benz cars and would buy and sell them. Photo / Supplied
Quinn Patterson loved his Mercedes-Benz cars and would buy and sell them. Photo / Supplied

In another email he talked about his shooting tower and visit from police.

"The 2 of them even sent the cops here to find a 'building' here he saw on Google earth. I asked the cops if they get paid extra for their 'building inspector' work? They're all around the bend! Absolutely insane. It's a strange feeling knowing I'm the sanest person (or so it seems)," Patterson wrote.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Police have confirmed they had visited Patterson over a structure in his backyard - a shooting platform.

However, the officer decided it was a tenancy issue despite Patterson not holding a firearms licence.

Wendy Campbell (right) and her daughter Natanya. Photo / Supplied
Wendy Campbell (right) and her daughter Natanya. Photo / Supplied

Patterson, who was born in Canada and had lived in Auckland and Australia, also served a stint in prison for stabbing a police officer.

Friends and neighbours of Patterson have told the Herald he possessed an arsenal of grenades, shotguns, rifles and handguns.

Michael John Hayes, a friend and employee of the killer, was supplying firearms to Patterson.

Hayes, reportedly a former New Zealand Defence Force solider and landmine and combat engineer, pleaded guilty to nine charges last month in the Whangarei District Court.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He is due to be sentenced next week.

Michael John Hayes has admitted supplying Quinn Patterson with firearms. Photo / John Stone
Michael John Hayes has admitted supplying Quinn Patterson with firearms. Photo / John Stone

Hayes faced three counts of unlawful possession of a military-style semi-automatic weapon (MSSA), three charges of supplying an MSSA to an unlicensed person, and three counts of supplying firearms to an unlicensed person.

The firearms he supplied, between March 1 and May 1 last year, included a Mossburg 12-gauge shotgun, Gevarm .22 calibre rifle, AK-47 replica semi-automatic rifle, and Saiga 12-gauge shotgun, and 7.62 calibre rifle with various rounds and magazines.

The supplying charges were after Hayes left firearms at Patterson's home after the pair were shooting some targets.

The Herald also earlier revealed that Patterson was using TradeMe to sell accessories for military weapons right up to the day of his death.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'I wouldn't wish it on anyone': Why are victims having to wait until 2027 for justice?

21 Jun 01:00 AM
Premium
Opinion

Opinion: Endless tourist tours are our modern purgatory

20 Jun 05:00 PM
Northern Advocate

Why kiwi deaths on roads highlight a conservation success story

20 Jun 02:00 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'I wouldn't wish it on anyone': Why are victims having to wait until 2027 for justice?

'I wouldn't wish it on anyone': Why are victims having to wait until 2027 for justice?

21 Jun 01:00 AM

Nine homicide cases this year have added to the delays in the High Court at Whangārei.

Premium
Opinion: Endless tourist tours are our modern purgatory

Opinion: Endless tourist tours are our modern purgatory

20 Jun 05:00 PM
Why kiwi deaths on roads highlight a conservation success story

Why kiwi deaths on roads highlight a conservation success story

20 Jun 02:00 AM
Rewi Spraggon explains Puanga, Matariki’s older brother

Rewi Spraggon explains Puanga, Matariki’s older brother

19 Jun 10:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP