Police say they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the camper van attack in the North Island surfing town of Raglan

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A man has faced court over the alleged murder of Australian surfer Sean McKinnon, who was shot while travelling in a camper van with his fiancee in New Zealand.

The 23-year-old man faced Hamilton district court charged with murder on Saturday while McKinnon’s family spoke of their pain following his appearance.

“The worst thing was telling my mother,” McKinnon’s sister, Emmeline McKinnon, told reporters. “We love him very deeply. We were devastated to hear that his life had been taken from him.”

Emmeline McKinnon and other family members arrived in New Zealand overnight and were present in court when the man accused of killing Sean McKinnon was remanded in custody.

He was arrested at a rural Waikato address on Friday night, following a tip-off from the public.

New Zealand police have confirmed he has been ordered to face court again on 27 August for the murder charge and other offences, including aggravated robbery and making threats to kill.

There is an interim suppression order on the accused’s name, at least until his next court appearance, they said.

Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley said the police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the attack.

“The homicide inquiry still continues, and there is work that will still be undertaken in and around the Waikato district as we work through to reconstruct the full events of this tragic event,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Sean McKinnon, 33, was killed while sleeping in the van with his Canadian fiancee Bianca Buckley, in the renowned North Island surfing town of Raglan.

The gunman allegedly ambushed the couple after 2am on Friday and demanded the keys to the camper van. He is then alleged to have shot McKinnon.

Buckley managed to escape on foot in the dark to a nearby farm for help while the gunman is alleged to have driven off in the camper van, with McKinnon’s body inside, police said.

McKinnon’s body was found in the van, which was abandoned in Hamilton, about 80km away.

“Bianca is amazingly resilient and strong. I cannot even begin to understand what she’s gone through,” Emmeline said of her brother’s fiancee. “She’s a really strong young woman. We’re just really glad she’s alive.”

Pitkethley said Buckley was shocked and traumatised.

“He was a lovable, knockabout Aussie guy, loved his surfing,” friend Julian Smith said of McKinnon.

Corangamite shire councillor Simon Illingworth told the Warrnambool Standard he had known McKinnon for years through the local surfing community.

“He’s just an awesome bloke, cruisy, honest, give you the shirt off his back sort of bloke,” he said. “Seanny Mac was always a legend. He would do somersaults off the Port Campbell pier with the kids. He always had time for everyone.”

Random shootings are very rare in New Zealand and thousands of tourists travel safely in camper vans every year, with many choosing to park their vans on the side of roads, in parks and in recreational areas, an activity known as “freedom camping”.

Three tourists were shot at while surfing at nearby Te Maika point last year, while a fisherman was also allegedly fired upon in the area.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to McKinnon’s family.

• Australian Associated Press contributed to this report