At a Glance: A 20-year timeline of David Bain

  • Breaking
  • 18/06/2014

By 3 News online staff

Today marks 20 years since the Bain family killings, which saw David Bain jailed for 13 years before he was acquitted in 2009.

Mr Bain, who was 22 at the time of the murders, has maintained his innocence. His defence team insist Mr Bain's father, Robin, fired the fatal shots before turning the gun on himself.

June 20, 1994 - David Bain's parents, Robin and Margaret, sisters Laniet and Arawa and brother Stephen are shot and killed in their Dunedin home. Mr Bain calls emergency services in a distraught state.

June 24, 1994 - Mr Bain is charged with five counts of murder. The following day the rest of his family are farewelled by 1000 mourners.

July 7, 1994 - Mr Bain's home is razed by the Fire Service at his family's request.

October 1994 - Depositions hearing begins and Mr Bain is committed for trial in May 1995.

May 8, 1995 - Three-week-long murder trial begins in the High Court at Dunedin.

May 29, 1995 - Jury finds Mr Bain guilty on all five counts of murder.

June 21, 1995 - Mr Bain sentenced to mandatory life term, with a minimum non-parole period of 16 years.

December 19, 1995 - Court of Appeal dismisses Mr Bain's appeal.

May 1996 - A petition to the Privy Council seeking leave to appeal fails.

July 22, 1996 - Court of Appeal lifts suppression order covering defence witness Dean Cottle and evidence that was to have been presented at Mr Bain's murder trial. It alleges Laniet told Cottle that her father was having an incestuous affair with her and she was going to confront the family about it.

February, 1997 - Mr Bain's defence team prepares petition to the Governor-General, seeking a pardon.

April 16, 1997 - Joe Karam launches his book, David and Goliath. It says Robin, not David, was the killer, and that police botched the investigation.

May 5, 1997 - Police appoint Assistant Commissioner Brion Duncan to head an independent inquiry reviewing police handling of the murder investigation.

June 23, 1997 - James McNeish releases his book, The Mask of Sanity, concluding that David was the killer.

November 25, 1997 - Police in the murder investigation are cleared by the joint police and Independent Police Complaints Authority inquiry. It finds no major flaws in the police investigation and says criticism that police were incompetent is unjustified.

March 1998 - Police say Dunedin officers will sue Mr Karam over claims in his book.

June 1998 - Petition of 113 pages and 290-page supporting document seeking a pardon for Mr Bain is lodged with the Governor-General.

June 1999 - Former Dunedin pathologist Jim Gwynne presents petition to the Governor-General seeking pardon for Mr Bain. Dr Gwynne says evidence shows Robin Bain committed suicide.

June 9, 2000 - Damages suit brought against Mr Karam by two Dunedin detectives, one since retired, fails at the High Court in Auckland.

December 19, 2000 - Mr Bain has aspects of his case referred back to the Court of Appeal. Justice Minister Phil Goff says an investigation had shown that "a number of errors" may have occurred in the Crown's presentation of its case.

October 2002 - Court of Appeal considers four aspects of the case referred to it by Mr Goff.

December 20, 2002 - Mr Goff announces the case is to be reheard in full by Court of Appeal.

December 13, 2003 - Court of Appeal decides a retrial was not needed on the grounds that the new evidence would not have changed the jury's verdict.

June 7, 2006 - Mr Bain's legal team wins the right to a full Privy Council hearing.

March 8, 2007 - Five-day Privy Council hearing in London begins.

May 10, 2007 - Privy Council quashes Mr Bain's convictions, saying there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice.

June 21, 2007 - Solicitor-General David Collins orders a retrial.

March 6, 2009 - Retrial starts in the High Court at Christchurch.

June 5, 2009 - Jury finds Mr Bain not guilty on the five murder charges.

March 2010 - Mr Bain asks the Government for compensation for 13 years in prison.

December 2010 - The Government rejects a proposal by Mr Bain's legal team to settle his compensation claim for wrongful imprisonment.

November 2011 - Retired Canadian Supreme Court judge Justice Ian Binnie appointed to assess Mr Bain's claim for compensation.

March 2012 - Mr Bain says he is moving on with his life.

July 2012 - Justice Ian Binnie brought into New Zealand to assess Mr Bain's compensation claims.

September 2012 - Mr Bain gets engaged to Christchurch school teacher Liz Davies.

December 2012 - Justice Minister Judith Collins rejects Justice Binnie's report after Robert Fischer QC found an alleged number of errors.

January 2013 - Mr Bain's lawyer Michael Reed QC announces Mr Bain is seeking a judicial review of how Ms Collins has handled his compensation bid.

March 2013 - A 3 News/Reid Research poll finds most New Zealanders believe Mr Bain should get up to $1 million in compensation.

April 2013 - The High Court rules a judicial review of Ms Collins' actions will be held in Auckland in July.

June 2013 - 3rd Degree reveals clues which could prove Robin Bain fired the murder weapon.

August 13, 2013 - Police carry out gun testing in relation to the evidence revealed on 3rd Degree.

August 23, 2013 – After a High Court battle between Mr Bain and Judith Collins, a judge rules the Justice Minister was largely justified in not releasing sensitive documents to Mr Bain's legal team.

October 2013 - Police say expert analysis of Robin Bain's fingers debunked the theory he was the shooter.

January 10, 2014Mr Bain marries Liz Davies in a private ceremony outside Christchurch.

Mr Bain is currently waiting to see if he will receive compensation from the Government for the 13 years he served in prison.

3 News

source: newshub archive