IT has been a year since Tea Gardens man, Thomas "Tom" Davy, was fatally stabbed to death in Queensland, but his grieving family is still waiting for answers.
Tom Davy, 27, and father-of-three Corey Christensen died after being stabbed by 19-year-old Dean Webber after entering his house in Alva Beach, near Townsville, in the early hours of October 1, 2018. Mr Webber was questioned by police, but no charges were laid.
"We have heard that there is a high possibility of an inquest," Mr Davy's mother, Heather Davy, said.
"The coroner still hasn't received the police reports and whatever else they need for them to be able to pick it up and proceed. It is hard to wait, but we have faith in the justice system that has worked in the past for others, and are relying on it to work for us."
Since Mr Davy's death, the family say they have been "living a nightmare" they cannot wake from.
The pain of losing "Tom" in such tragic circumstances had been unbearable.
Their grief, "paralysing".
"To lose my little brother in any manner, at age 27, is shocking, and unbearably painful," Josh Davy - a Nelson Bay paramedic - told the Newcastle Herald.
"But ... this is catastrophic and life shattering."
It was the weekend of the NRL grand final in 2018 when Mr Davy and his new girlfriend - Candice Locke - were welcomed into the small Alva Beach community for an annual family-friendly barbecue to watch the game, the Davys' said.
The couple had been visiting the area for a weekend of camping and fishing.
Mr Davy, an aircraft structures engineer, had moved to Cairns just 10 weeks earlier to start his own business.
He was due to fly back to Tea Gardens the next day to see his family and collect his dog, Mia.
He never made it home.
According to Queensland Police, on the night the men died, Ms Locke had sought help at a house after she fell from a quad bike.
Inside that house was Mr Webber, a stranger to Mr Davy and Ms Locke.
Mr Davy and Mr Christensen were fatally stabbed by Mr Webber after they entered the house.
The family said Mr Davy had arrived at Mr Webber's house at about 12.30am. They said the police had told them that Mr Davy and Mr Christensen had gone into the house unarmed.
Mrs Davy strongly believed they were going to the aid of Candice.
No words could accurately convey the pain and suffering the family had endured since Mr Davy's death, she said. Their lives had been irrevocably shattered.
"The tragedy of losing a child - whether through illness, an accident or any means - can only be understood by the parents," she said.
"To lose a child in the manner Tom was taken from us adds another dimension to the pain.
"There has not been a minute when thoughts of him and the tragic and violent manner of his death has not haunted our everyday lives. We are a close knit, loving family... But a part of us died with Tom, and we will never be whole again."
The family had been wary of speaking to the media lest they jeopardise investigations.
We are a close knit, loving family... But a part of us died with Tom, and we will never be whole again.
Heather Davy, of Tea Gardens
But they disputed claims they believe to be based on "misinformation and rumours" that had portrayed the victims of the incident as villains. They felt Mr Davy's good reputation had been tarnished.
"We have been given a clear understanding of everything that happened that night, and what has been reported is not what the police have told us," Josh Davy said.
"We know other details about what happened that night, and we don't know why they haven't been released. The press haven't been provided with a clear version of what has happened, and so people have made assumptions. Tom was a good person from a good and loving family."
Mrs Davy said there would be a time when the family would release a full statement about their understanding of what happened that night.
"But at the moment we are obliged to put our faith in the justice system," she said.
On Tuesday, the anniversary of Mr Davy's death, his family and friends gathered for a "day on the water" - Tom's second home - at Tea Gardens to remember the "remarkable" person he was.
"Tom was kind, and loving, and charismatic. He would light up a room whenever he entered it," Mrs Davy said.
"He was an adventurer, a technician, a sportsman, a retained fireman, a fisherman, an animal lover, a boat and vehicle re-builder, and a gentleman. He was exceptional," Mr Davy's uncle, Ewan McLauchlan, added.
More than 500 people attended Mr Davy's funeral at the family home in Tea Gardens.
The local fire brigade had formed a guard of honour.
"He was a much loved and respected member of the community," Mrs Davy said.
"Everyone loved Tom. Everyone liked to be near him. He was just that kind of guy," Josh Davy said.
"He was a beautiful human, in the prime of his life. For him to be taken in this catastrophic way just seems so senseless."
Mr Davy's sister, Katie Davy - a Newcastle nurse - said nothing compared to the despair she felt to have lost her big brother in such horrific circumstances.
"To get through each day I have to tell myself that Tom is just away at the moment," she said.
"I'm waiting for him to walk through the door at home and for me to be able to fill him in on how crazy this all has been."
A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said the ongoing case was a "complex investigation" with items still undergoing examination.
"Once those are completed the remaining material will be forwarded to the coroner."
