David Bain retrial Day 7 Jury told Bain faked fits

Day 7
Two emergency services witnesses say a seizure David Bain was seen having after the police first arrived at his house did not stack up against their experience of "fitting".

The Crown alleges Bain accused of murdering parents Margaret, 50, and Robin, 58, and siblings Arawa, 19, Laniet, 18, and Stephen, 14, in Dunedin on June 20, 1994 faked the convulsion to make it look as though he was in shock at finding his family dead.

The Bain retrial at the High Court in Christchurch has a break today and will continue on Monday with more emergency services witnesses.

Craig Wombwell, who in 1994 was the chief ambulance officer for Dunedin, told the court yesterday that he checked Bain about 7.35am after being summoned by police to someone "fitting".

He saw Bain lying in a foetal position at the base of the bed and when first approached he was shivering.

When Wombwell shone a torch into Bain's eyes he saw the eyelids were "flickering".

He checked Bain's pulse, which was strong, and the flickering eyes meant he was not deeply unconscious, Wombwell said.
Ambulance officer Jan Scott said Bain made a comment where she had to ask several times what he said.

"In the end I understood him to say that the black hands were coming to get him."

Ms Scott said while she was sitting with Bain in his bedroom, he asked for his glasses so he could see, but later said he could see fine without them.

"But it was the tone he said that in - the look he looked at me, it was quite scary, threatening."

Terry van Turnhout, then a constable in Dunedin, was sent to observe Bain while he lay in his bedroom and recalled that at 8.15am, Bain said "I have got to get up. I have got to go to university. I study music. I sing".

Mr van Turnhout said Bain later asked him at the police station: "Is this going to hold me up for long? The next week or so? It's just, I'm in a play. We are in rehearsals at the moment. It may pay to ring the producer".

Mr van Turnhout told the court he picked up the pair of glasses without lenses off a chair in Bain's room, but put them down when he realised he was in a crime scene. One lens was on the chair. He said he was not aware then they would become significant.

Bain's full statement to police will be read in court today.

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• David Bain retrial
• Jury
• Robin Bain
• David Bain
• David Bain murder case
• Stephen Bain
• New Zealand crime

[superkiwistar]

davidbain.counterspin.co.nz Robin isn't guilty, so that only leaves one person. Right, David?

[fingustis]

Guilty

[MissDutchGirl]

Id probably think black hands were coming to get me and Id have fake fits too if I found my family shot to death.... anyone would lose the plot a bit dont you think?