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Chris Kahui spent his first few hours as a free man praying and reflecting in church on the death of his twin sons.
Mr Kahui is believed to have gone straight from court to the Faith Family Baptist Church on Court Rd in Panmure, an address he has
previously been bailed to.
The wife of the pastor, Margaret Ngapera - who has been supporting Mr Kahui with her husband each day in court - told the Herald that only his immediate family were at the church.
"We're sitting around enjoying each other's company with just close whanau."
Asked if she and members of the Kahui family were pleased he was acquitted, she replied: "Yes ... there's still the issue about [the death of] the babies."
Bunches of flowers could be seen through semi-drawn curtains and children played in a creche attached to the church.
Earlier in the day, children were picking flax from a neighbourhood property and were weaving it inside.
People came and went from a house next to the church. Others were training in a boxing ring in one of the rooms at the church.
A group of people could be seen inside in an embrace before disappearing into what the Herald was told was a meeting, but was understood to be some sort of service.
Mrs Ngapera denied Mr Kahui was at the church but said his father, Banjo, was there.
However, about 6.30pm, Chris Kahui slipped out a side door with family members, holding a black jacket to cover his head.
He refused to talk to the Herald. He was bundled into a van - the same van he rode in after his court appearance - with family, including at least two young children.
The van sped off and seconds later his father walked out another exit with other family members. All he would say was that he was happy his son was a free man.
It is believed Chris Kahui stayed last night at a dwelling in Manurewa.
Outside the house a burly, dreadlocked man who had been supporting Mr Kahui in court yelled obscenities at the media. He then went inside to collect a barking dog that looked like a pitbull and tied it to the front gate so that no one would attempt to enter.
