The day mass murderer struck

The man who destroyed Masterton's innocence forever by bludgeoning and knifing to death seven members of his family pleaded guilty in a soft voice in Masterton District Court in September 1992.

By doing so, Raymond Wahia Ratima spared the victims' families the trauma of a trial.

But the summary of facts Crown prosecutor Grant Burston read to the court was horrifying enough.

It told of the events prior to and during the night of June 26, of the unemployed shearer's rage, sparked by a combination of marital upset, financial woes, homelessness and separation from the children he was later to kill.

Having been banished from his in-laws' house, where he and his wife, Toni, had been staying, for eight days Ratima lived at a friend's place and sought help on many fronts from government departments and welfare agencies.

His frustration and anger boiled over on the day of the multiple murders.

His estranged wife and her parents had left the children with babysitters at the Judds Rd home and, by chance, Ratima saw them socialising at a tavern.

He went to where he had been staying, got a hammer and a knife, and was heard to say he was "going on a mission".

That mission was to attack and slaughter everyone at the Judds Rd home.

He used a stolen back-door key to enter, then quietly moved through the home where the seven were either asleep or watching television.

He was first confronted by his young brother-in-law, Phillip Ferguson jnr, a 14-year-old schoolboy, then Bevan Tepu, and baby Steven Tepu.

Nicola Ferguson was hit on the head with the hammer as she tried to defend herself, and Ratima then used his knife to ensure they were dead, also stabbing the pregnant woman in the stomach.

He then took the lives of his own young sons, Piripi, Barney and Stacey. Ratima then waited in the darkened house for the return of Toni, his father-in-law, Phillip Ferguson snr, and his mother-in-law, Tubby Ferguson.

Phillip Ferguson entered the house first and was hit on the head, but in the narrow hallway Ratima was unable to get enough force to fell Mr Ferguson.

Mr Ferguson fought back as the two women sought help from neighbours and Ratima was overpowered and held until police arrived.

Ratima has been in prison for almost 20 years.

Ahead of this month's parole hearing, he wrote to a television journalist, saying he had "aroha, compassion, empathy and respect" for his whanau.