The Gold Coast Bulletin can reveal that in April 2012 — more than three years before Patea killed Tara — police issued protection orders against the bikie heavyweight. He would breach it several times, including a death threat phone call.

CHAPTER 1: TARA’S EIGHT DAYS OF TERROR ON RUN

CHAPTER 2: FROM $250K BIKIE KING TO DEPTHS OF SUICIDE

CHAPTER 4: TARA WAS ‘EVERYTHING TO ME’: PATEA

CHAPTER 5: THE LITTLE GIRL WITHOUT HER MUMMY

Despite being on a suspended sentence, he was given one-month imprisonment but released on immediate parole with an order not to go within 100 metres of his estranged girlfriend.

It was not the first time Patea had been up on domestic violence charges. The Gold Coast Bulletin can also reveal in March 2010, as an 18-year-old, he received a court order after punching a former girlfriend.

Police admit there had been “instances of domestic violence throughout the Patea-Brown relationship”.

It ended in September 2015 when Patea ran the mother of his daughter off the road and beat her with a metal plate.

Tara believed she could escape Patea, predicting he would be jailed for his role in the 2013 Broadbeach bikie brawl only for him to be handed a $2500 fine after pleading guilty to public nuisance.

Days after her death, the Gold Coast Bulletin revealed police “did not take any action” after Tara and her lawyer, Jason Hall, arrived at Southport police station in the week before her death seeking help.

For the first time, court and legal documents and accounts from close friends track the rollercoaster journey, their relationship twisting from ugly violence to family reconciliation with their young daughter Aria by their side.

In the lead-up to car chase and the blood spilled on a Gold Coast suburban street on the morning of September 8, 2015, Patea was driven by jealousy.

Tara had finally broken away from him and in his rage he suspected she had cheated on him.

THE MEETING OF SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS

Patea and Tara were childhood sweethearts at the Coast’s Keebra Park High School, renowned for its rugby league footballers and Kiwi students.

They shared New Zealand heritage and a love of sport.

Tara spent her childhood at Waikato on New Zealand’s North Island before moving to the Coast in the mid-1990s. Patea was from Whanganui on the North Island’s west coast.

At school, he was a promising player with the South Coast Maori Rugby League team. Tara excelled in touch football and played at a representative level.

“They’re just a package deal,” a former school mate said. “It was always Tara and Lionel. They were best friends.”

They graduated in 2009 and within two years were in a serious relationship, living in Upper Coomera. Facebook photographs in 2011 show them proud owners of a puppy.

A BABY DAUGHTER

The couple’s daughter Aria was born on May 20, 2012, but it wasn’t welcome news for all.

The relationship between Tara’s wider family and Patea had become strained. Some relatives were horrified she was having a child to a bikie.

Still, Tara’s heart sang because Aria became “my world”. “My sun, my moon, my star,” she wrote.

Police admit there were “instances of domestic violence throughout their relationship”.

Several reports were written up and protection orders issued.

So would begin a familiar pattern. They would separate and after Patea spoke to Tara, he somehow managed to get them together.

On April 23, police issued a temporary protection order on Tara’s behalf, which would become permanent, for a two-year period. Aria was just two months old.

Documents show Patea breached the order three times, including one time where police alleged he used a carriage service with the intent to kill.

On July 28, while on a suspended sentence, Patea appeared in the Southport Court about a DV breach.

He was given a further suspended sentence, told not to go within 100 metres of Tara and have no contact with Aria. The order was set to expire on July 15, 2014.

THE BROADBEACH BIKIE BRAWL

Patea had become the sergeant-at-arms of the Gold Coast chapter of the Bandidos.

On September 27, 2013, former Bandidos member Jacques Teamo, 45, was accused of enlisting dozens of associates to track down rival gang members who were dining at Aura restaurant.

The fight started in the busy restaurant and spilled on to the street. Patea was among the 27 Bandidos later charged with 30 offences.

The public brawling of bikies shocked the Coast. The Newman Government moved quickly to impose its tough Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment laws.

Patea was first refused bail then released after his lawyer, Campbell MacCallum, said his client had surrendered his leather jacket.

In early November, Patea was granted bail on the proviso he stayed with his parents, not go within 50m of Broadbeach or Southport and have no contact with Bandidos except for his “retired” brother Nelson.

Tara confided to close friends that she was “looking forward to him going to prison”.

She predicted he would be jailed for at least six months.

THE LEGAL FIRM’S RISING STAR

In 2013 Tara applied for a secretarial job at the Southport commercial law firm JHL Lawyers.

The firm’s principal, Jason Hall, who had led successful class actions and built up the practice over a decade, recalls Tara’s application.

“It was an impeccable resume. Tara was a loyal, hardworking and fantastic worker,” Mr Hall said.

Tara was his personal assistant but it was soon obvious that her work ethic and talent could see her rise in the firm. The plan was for a senior bookkeeping and financial affairs role.

Personal items around her desk showed how much she loved her daughter. Patea was never in the photographs. Friends viewed their relationship as “being together more often than not”.

In mid-2014 Patea proudly posted photographs of mother and daughter on his Facebook page. A birthday card included the written heading “You float my boat”. Tara signed off with her name and Aria’s, writing “love, love, love, love and miss you”.

Tara was providing the regular income while Patea was off to the mines to try and find work.

A stunning turnaround at a hearing in the Southport Court on May 27, 2015 would rock Tara’s future plans.

Riot charges were dropped for six of the bikies and Patea pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of public nuisance.

Mr MacCallum said his client was unable to appear due to “financial hardship”.

His plea was entered via a telephone hook-up in Gladstone where he was working.

“How you going, man,” Patea said, on the phone, to the magistrate.

Several onlookers in the gallery in the courtroom laughed.

On August 14 in the Brisbane Magistrate’s Court, Patea would plead guilty to public nuisance and was fined $2500.

THE ROW AT AUCKLAND AIRPORT

In late August 2015, Tara and her mother Natalie Hinton arranged to return to New Zealand for a holiday with Aria.

Patea decided he wanted to go and booked a separate flight. Photographs from the trip featured only Tara and Aria.

On August 30, at Auckland airport, Patea snuck behind Tara as she exchanged texts. He attempted to get her phone.

“He was chasing her throughout the airport,” a friend said. Security was called and they returned on separate flights.

“He suspected it was a guy they had spent time with in New Zealand,” a friend added.

This was the trigger for the violence that would follow. Patea was convinced that Tara was seeing someone.

On two occasions he dodged going inside. He was granted parole for domestic violence breaches and escaped a jail stint for his role in the bikie brawl.

On return to the Gold Coast, he beat the system one more time. Police did not take any action when Tara complained about threats to her life. This time the consequences were fatal.