David Bain tells of prison violence

David Bain was on suicide watch and chronically depressed at times during his 13 years in prison.

The 37-year-old, who was found not guilty of killing five of his family in a re-trial last month, was also beaten up by other prisoners but, instead of retaliating, he would give them a "bear hug" and try to march them out of his cell.

These and more intimate details of Bain's time behind bars, along with details about his new-found freedom, are covered in this week's issue of women's magazine New Idea.

The magazine has not revealed how much it paid for the exclusive article, which is the first time Bain has spoken at length about his experiences.

Speculation about how much Bain could be paid for any post-trial media coverage has been rife, but no one has been willing to put a figure on it.

One celebrity agent, who didn't want to be named, had previously said that the Bain case was unique and it was hard to put a figure on it. As a comparison, a magazine would pay around $25,000 for exclusive rights to report on the wedding of a celebrity couple. There were only one or two New Zealanders who could command $50,000, the source said.

Yesterday, long-time Bain supporter Joe Karam had no comment when asked about how much Bain had received for the magazine article.

He also had no comment on whether Bain was intending to seek compensation for his time in prison.

Bain was found not guilty of killing his family early last month at a retrial at the High Court in Christchurch. His mother Margaret, father Robin, brother Stephen, 14, and sisters Laniet, 17, and Arawa, 18, were killed in 1994. And at his first trial the following year, Bain was found guilty of their murders.

In the New Idea story he talks about how he was convinced the jury would consider him innocent and how he plunged into despair when given his life sentence. Bain says his mental state "ranged from bouts of hysteria and panic and almost a zombie-like state". He says he stayed positive by taking each day at a time.

He says he was able to focus on clearing his name because of the support he received. He also outlines why he thinks his family would be proud of him.

New Idea editor Hayley McLarin said she found Bain to be outgoing, humorous and very well spoken. She described him as someone who was "very keen to look forward, not backward".

One thing that stood out for her was how Bain dealt with violence in prison. She said he never joined a gang or retaliated when attacked. She described him as a model prisoner. She said the story was a chance for people to get to know the real David Bain.