Koopu’s long-term friend told the Herald he met Koopu in the mid-1990s while they were on boatbuilding apprenticeships.
The man, who did not want to be named, said the man he knew was “extremely calm”.
Maui Koopu lived in Alvesta, Sweden with his now ex-wife and two daughters.
“Once we completed our apprenticeships, we all headed overseas, as many good New Zealand boatbuilders did back then. We worked in Gothenburg, Sweden, building the America’s Cup yacht for Victory Challenge, and this is where he met his wife.”
He said Koopu trained as a helicopter pilot before moving to Sweden.
“Unfortunately, since then we have only kept in touch through messages.”
The municipality of Alvesta, Sweden. Photo / Google Maps
Koopu moved to Sweden in 2013 with his wife and two daughters. He built their family home in the small village of Lekaryd.
Case papers with the Vaxjo District Court in Sweden, seen by the Herald, showed his wife filed for divorce in June. Koopu twice appealed the application – once in August to the Court of Appeal, then again to the Supreme Court in December. He was denied both requests.
The couple’s divorce was reportedly finalised last Thursday, just two days before the attack. The divorce papers confirmed the couple had been living apart for more than two years, which met the criteria for granting a divorce judgment.
Neither parent requested dissolution of the joint custody of the children.
The family home in the village of Lekaryd in Alvesta, Sweden built by Maui Koopu. Photo / Google Maps
The Municipal Council of Alvesta told the Herald the matter was “currently being investigated by the police”.
The Herald has approached Koopu’s family for comment.