Molenaar inquest: Partner weeps as suicide notes read in court

Jan Molenaar with partner Delwyn Keefe. Photo / Grant Harding

The partner of Napier gunman Jan Molenaar wept as the coroner read Molenaar's suicide notes to the court.

Delwyn Keefe is serving a sentence of two years and three months in prison for her part in Molenaar's cannabis operation.

She broke down as Coroner David Crerar read the suicide notes at the inquest into the shooting of Senior Constable Len Snee who was gunned down in May last year.

"I was bad. I paid for my crime. I let everyone down. I know I let everyone down, I know." He signed the note "JM".

Mr Crerar read a second note.

"I love you Del. You are so faithful I did the best to make you happy. Love, Jannimo forever."

Molenaar shot dead Senior Constable Snee and critically wounded two other officers and a neighbour before writing the notes and turning the gun on himself.

Mr Crerar said: "Those were his last thoughts. He knew he had let people down and had gone too far in his actions that day."

He asked Keefe to verify the handwriting and she did.

Earlier, Keefe told the court that she had warned the police officers that her partner would be "ropable" when he came home and found three police officers searching his house for drugs.

She said she saw that Molenaar had a gun, and warned Mr Snee to leave her home.

"I said get out because you don't know him like I do," Keefe said.

She said Molenaar came out on to his balcony as police officers were making their way up the drive before he told police: "I f'n told yous" and fired the fatal shots that killed Mr Snee.

Keefe described seeing the body of Mr Snee on the ground and another body "getting dragged up the hill".

She said she told Jan: "You've shot an f'n cop. He put the gun on the ground and said: Bub, you go. It's over for me".

Keefe was asked by the Coroner if she had known Molenaar had a cache of guns that included assault rifles and sawn off shotguns. She said she did not.

Police officers have previously given evidence that they saw a sawn off shotgun in Molenaar's basement, near a stash of one once bags of cannabis that Keefe had shown them.

Mr Crerar also asked Keefe if she wanted to be at the inquest tomorrow but she said she would like to go back to prison.

Wounded colleague describes injuries

One of the police officers shot and wounded by Molenaar broke down in tears as he told the court how his long-time colleague was shot dead by Molenaar.

Senior Constable Grant Diver wept as he recounted how he and two other officers were ordered out of Molenaar's house when Molenaar got angry.

The dog handler with 27 years experience said he looked back to see Molenaar on his balcony.

"As we were about to leave and without warning, Molenaar opened fire," Mr Diver said.

"I remember just as this happened, I tried to turn and run but was shot through the arm and groin. I attempted to run but these injuries caused me to fall over."

He told the court that he crawled up the hill to try and find a place to take cover. Mr Diver said he looked back and could see Mr Miller but not Mr Snee.

Mr Diver broke down and was asked if he would like someone else to finish reading his evidence. He said he would carry on.
Mr Diver told the court that he has undergone four lots of surgery and was only back at work in March this year.

Wrestle to save lives

Neighbour Len Holmwood was also wounded as he tried to wrestle a rifle off Molenaar.

Mr Holmwood has been praised as a hero for his actions.

He told the court today that he would occasionally buy cannabis from Molenaar and Keefe and was at the home during the police raid.

Mr Holmwood said he saw Molenaar shoot Senior Constable Len Snee before shooting and wounding Senior Constables Miller and Diver.

He said Molenaar came out on the street and aimed at the police officers as they tried to crawl to safety.

"I grabbed the rifle and turned it towards the road," Mr Holmwood said.

"I wrestled for the firearm with Jan for about 10 seconds," he said.

But he was pushed over by a stronger Molenaar before being shot in the hip. The bullet damaged his pelvis and splintered before exiting through his buttocks.

"I was swearing at him for shooting me. I crawled up the roadway towards where Senior Constable Snee was lying on the ground."

He said he tried to drag Mr Snee to safety but was not strong enough.

Mr Holmwood said sometime later he was loaded into a police car and taken to the Hawkes Bay Hospital where he spent 18 days in hospital - six of which were in intensive care.

He said he still requires a splint to walk.

Molenaar's time of death

Earlier Detective Superintendent Rod Drew told the inquest that Molenaar shot himself in the head with a .38 revolver at 1.28pm on Friday May 8.

Mr Drew has told the inquest that Molenaar had wanted to go out in a "blaze of glory" when police executed a search warrant.

He said Molenaar believed his home was being watched and he had discussed with friends what he would do if police came to arrest him.

Mr Drew said Molenaar had "set himself up for a siege" and was showing signs of paranoia.

"Jan Molenaar saw himself as a local hero standing up to that gangs and looking after the safety of the neighbourhood," he said.

Mr Drew said police were not watching Molenaar but had visited his home on two occasions two weeks before the shooting.

He said a car belonging to Keefe was seen in a suburb where there had been burglaries.

He said both sets of officers had smelt cannabis when they visited the property but left after Molenaar explained the pair were looking at real-estate in the area.

Mr Drew said this was later confirmed by a real-estate agent.
Neighbours put lives at risk to help police

Mr Drew also told how neighbours of Molenaar had put their lives at risk as they tried to help two critically wounded police officers while Mr Snee lay dead in the street.

He told the court how neighbours came out onto the street and dragged one officer into a house.

He said passing motorists stopped and tried to protect Senior Constable Miller who was still on the road.

Mr Drew said the two motorists were also fired at three times by Molenaar who by this time had .308 SLR assault rifle.

Mr Drew said Armed Offender Squad members began arriving after the wounded police officers made emergency calls.

Three AOS officers took cover behind a fence. He said 13 bullet holes were found in the fence after the siege.

"Miraculously the shots narrowly missed the AOS members," Mr Drew said.

Earlier, Otago Southland Coroner David Crerar opened proceedings and said the reason for a coroner's inquest is to refute any "suggestion of collusion" when a police officer has been involved in the death of a member of the public.

He said his job was to determine how the deaths happened and to make recommendations in the hope that similar deaths do not occur.