Kahui twins' parents put burgers before babies

Chris and Cru Kahui.

The parents of murdered twins Chris and Cru Kahui ignored doctors' orders to seek urgent hospital treatment for the twins' injuries - and instead went to McDonald's for lunch.

As the police investigation into the double murders enters its 12th week, the Herald on Sunday has new details about the events leading up to the death of the three-month-old Mangere twins.

The twins' parents, Sonny Chris Kahui and Macsyna King, took the twins to their family GP on Tuesday, June 13. King had returned to Kahui's Mangere home that morning after being gone for 11 hours and had noticed extensive bruising on the boys.

She was told that during the night CPR had been performed on the twins by their grandfather William "Banjo" Kahui. Police would not say yesterday who else was in the house when CPR was administered, but confirmed "there was more than one person there".

However, despite obvious fears for the twins' wellbeing, no one in the house sought medical treatment. It was only at King's insistence that it was agreed the twins should be seen by the family GP.

Police said the babies had been bashed on their heads or their heads had been smashed against something solid. They had broken ribs inflicted before the injuries which killed them, and one had a broken thigh bone.

After a 20-minute consultation with their GP, King and Chris Kahui were told the injuries were so horrific the boys needed urgent hospitalisation. An ambulance was not called as Middlemore Hospital was only 10 minutes away and the GP thought it was quicker for King and Kahui to go themselves. But instead of going straight to Middlemore, King and Kahui went to McDonald's for lunch.

They then returned home for several hours where it is understood King and Kahui had an argument over the twins, which led to Kahui storming off.

Eventually King took the twins to hospital by herself and was joined that evening by Kahui. Five days later the babies died in Starship Hospital.

Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant John Tims would not comment on the events leading to the twins' hospitalisation, but did confirm they had reduced the list of potential suspects "dramatically".

He refused to comment on suggestions that Chris Kahui had been officially upgraded from a "person of interest" to a suspect in the double murders. All he would confirm was that police last spoke to Chris Kahui and King about a fortnight ago.

He also denied claims that police were going to make an arrest three weeks ago.

"We are making really good progress. It is not as quick as some people would like, but we need to be patient - and all I can really say is that I am confident of a result in the near future.

" I can not put a timeframe on it."

Tims said family members were no longer "stonewalling" efforts to find the twins' killer or killers - but for police there was still work to do to establish a prima facie case.

Chris Kahui, William Kahui and King were still living in Auckland and police were able to see and question them any time, he said.

So far police have interviewed all of the "tight 12" and at least a further 20 members of the immediate and extended families and another 90 non-family witnesses.

Tims said he was aware of calls for police to prosecute every member of the "tight 12" for perverting the course of justice, but the most important thing was finding Chris and Cru's killer.

"We cannot just drag people in, lock them up and think that hopefully that will give them a fright and they will tell all. If we get sidetracked with perhaps minor offences we are losing the direction and focus we need to have."

Kahui family spokeswoman Ani Hawke said she believed it was only a matter of time before an arrest.

She had spoken to Chris Kahui about the twins and did not believe he had inflicted the injuries.

She said she knew who was responsible, but did not believe now was the right time to name them. Chris Kahui's lawyer, Lorraine Smith would not comment.