Veitch saga: the end of the affair

Kristin Dunne-Powell. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Tony Veitch and Kristin Dunne-Powell struggled to disentangle their lives after the attack that changed their lives, emails and counselling notes reveal.

TVNZ's chief executive talked with Dunne-Powell about coming back to work for the state broadcaster as marketing general manager.

The informal discussion with TVNZ boss Rick Ellis is a painful example of the difficulty that the two had in building separate lives.

Dunne-Powell told the Herald on Sunday yesterday that she had met Ellis after she left Vodafone in March 2007, and he asked if she would be interested in the marketing job.

The job never happened: the incumbent remained in the role and, regardless, Dunne-Powell would have had to seriously consider whether she could work alongside Veitch again.

In January 2006, the day after the attack, Veitch phoned a relationship counsellor: "We need a miracle worker," he said.

Veitch made the notes of that day's session with clinical psychologist Nic Beets public.

They had been together four years, on and off, and lived together for six months. The two had a "rare connection", Dunne-Powell told the psychologist.

But they were having difficulty trusting each other. Veitch was concerned Dunne-Powell was going through his emails, phone and wallet; Dunne-Powell felt rejected when Veitch was working long hours.

Veitch said: "I'm independent, I have conflict. K is emotional, little things set her off."

Dunne-Powell said she was confused: "I never feel like a priority. T works seven days a week..."

Beets scheduled a session for the following week, but they cancelled because of Veitch's work commitments. He booked them a week after that, but they didn't show.

Beets had noted the intensity of their relationship, and emails - also supplied by Veitch - reflect the difficulty they had in parting.

Dunne-Powell emailed Veitch in March - six weeks after the attack - inviting him to join her at an engagement party, and offering the "random thought" that she might accompany him to Hamilton when he was working down there the following weekend.

But the relationship was beyond repair and, in November 2006, Veitch sent an email to Dunne-Powell, offering $10,000 "to help out financially".

The email was gentle but firm. "Krissy, saying goodbye had never been an easy thing - and this in all honesty 'sucks' as well.

"But if I don't sever ties I don't think I will truly learn from all this and grow from all this."

He continued: "I appreciate greatly the efforts you have gone to protect me and my career - I think you realise the consequences for me as a person if I lost that."

Dunne-Powell's reply was : "I think of you every day and I am happy you are finding happiness with Zoe. I too will never understand why it could not be with me."