Bain retrial hears Robin's wound consistent with self inflicted injury

Bain retrial hears Robin's wound "consistent with self-inflicted injury"

Dr Chapman is the second this week to say that Robin Bain shot his wife and family before committing suicide Wed, 20 May 2009 6:26p.m.




The defence team in the retrial of David Bain produced a witness well versed in controversial death for todays proceedings.

Doctor Robert Chapman was on the team that did an autopsy on Princess Diana.

He told the jury in his expert opinion, Robin Bain's head wound was "consistent with a self-inflicted injury".

Dr Chapman is one of the defence's big name witnesses, and the second this week to support the theory that Robin Bain shot his wife and family before committing suicide.

The British pathologist did the autopsies on Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed after their car crash in Paris, and supervised the post-mortems of the victims of the 2005 London tube bombings.

He says he analysed pictures of Robin Bain's bullet wound and found marks known as radial splitting.

You look at all the features of the wound, says Dr Chapman. The presence of soot and blackening, and the presence of the splitting and that tells me this wound is a contact or near contact wound.

That supports the suicide theory - but contradicts the view of two crown pathologists. One - Dr James Ferris - saying the shot came from up to 40cms away.

But Dr Chapman says he disagrees, and is certain in his view.

His conclusion on robin's cause of death

Based on the wounds appearances and pathology aspects, that wound is consistent with a self-inflicted injury, says Dr Chapman.

Contact head wounds to the temple tended to indicate suicide rather than homicide.

I think it's either contact or near-contact - it's impossible to differentiate, he says.

Another pathologist, Australian professor Stephen Cordner, was also due to give evidence. His father - who was an Aussie Rules star - died this week, so is not clear when he will take the stand.

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