Bain: 'I hated my father'

Trial halted after jury member sick

MARTIN VAN BEYNEN

After the Bain family murders, David Bain told his aunt he hated his father, the High Court in Christchurch heard today.

Valerie Boyd, Margaret Bain's sister, told the court she had travelled to Dunedin after the murders on June 20, 1994, and had a long conversation with David on the Wednesday after the killings.

David Bain is charged with murdering his parents and three siblings on 20 June, 1994 at their home in Dunedin by shooting them with a .22 rifle.

He had not been able to sleep and he told her he hated his father, describing him as "sneaky and listening to conversations that had nothing to do with him''.

David said his father was not accepting the family did not want him at home but he was saying "it was his family and his house so he was staying'', she said.

Boyd said David had micro-managed the funerals of his family and if did not get what he wanted he would "switch off''. He knew exactly what colour flowers he wanted for each of the coffins and what each of the family should wear including jewellery and underwear. He wanted Arawa to wear a gown and her super bra. Each family member would have their own music and for Laniet had he chosen the song, "Who wants to live forever'', she said.

"I thought that was completely inappropriate,''she said.

In other evidence the court was told the Bain family had enough money to build a new house on their Dunedin property.

Robin Bain's brother Michael Bain told David Bain's defence counsel Michael Reed QC that David's parents had enough money to build a new house on their Every Street property if the assets were capitalised.

Earlier he told the court, that on a prison visit, he asked David Bain "did you do it?''.

Michael Bain, who is Robin Bain's younger brother, said he visited David in Dunedin Prison on 28 June, 1994, and because no-one in the family had asked him, he took it upon himself to pose the question, "did you do it’’? .

David did not say "he didn't do it" but said "I've told my side to the police and I stick to that'', Michael Bain said.

He believed David Bain had made no objection to burning down the house at Every Street. A security firm in Dunedin had been guarding the site from June 30 to July 5 and on 7 July the house was torched, he said.

They had established the Every Street property was worth more without the house and the police had not objected to the burning. They said they had all the evidence they required. Nobody was available in Dunedin to look after the property, he said.

In October of 1994 David had not been prepared to see him but after depositions in Dunedin he had visited him in prison and they had discussed his "space outs'' and self hypnosis.

David told him the "space-outs'' were more a hiccup than epilepsy and there were times when he was out for 20 minutes.

He said his mother had taught him the art of self hypnosis as a means to finding the god within and to find peace when under stress.

David had mentioned tension in the family and said it was worse when Robin was home. The rest of the family felt dominated by him, David had said. Laniet left home because of it and Arawa and Margaret had resisted it.

Michael Bain said Robin was very proud of his family's achievements. He was proud of Arawa becoming a teacher and that Stephen was becoming a musician.

He said, "Laniet needed affection from young age. She just liked being loved.''

Robin was proud of David being in the same choir as him.

In answers to Reed, he said David had told him he had trouble showing grief in front of other people. When he reported the prison meeting, where he had posed the question, to the police, he had noted David "did not admit'' the acts.

He denied he reported all his meetings with David to the police. Accused of siding with Robin, Michael Bain said he was distressed about any member of the family being accused of murder.

TRAIL HALTED

The trial has been stopped for the day after one of the jurors became ill.

The jury went to lunch and when the court met again, the juror was missing and rest of the jury was sent home.

It is not known whether the juror will be fit for the court to reconvene tomorrow.