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Friday, May 11, 2007

BAIN CONVICTION QUASHED


My God, HE WAS INNOCENT – I have been deeply suspicious about the way the Police handel criminal cases ever since we moved (as a cost cutting measure) from a system of investigation that once collected ALL the evidence and a team of experienced Detectives would go where the evidence led them, it was time consuming and expensive, but it usually saw the right conviction, now we have a method of investigation that goes to a crime scene, profiles the most likely candidate to have committed the crime and then connects whatever evidence the Police have to whoever has been unlucky enough to be profiled by the Police – this is cheaper but calls into question the process, and with Bain’s conviction quashed, I’m even more suspicious of these cops and their prosecutions. How many other innocent people have been thrown into our hell hole corrupt, violent and racist prison system? This can’t be easy for our sensible sentencing bandwagon, hang ‘em high brigade because they see the cops as shining white knights, but maybe we need to start looking again at this system that is sending innocent people into prison.

The major issue with keeping a Privvy Council is that the cops who made the arrest of Bain and who have now been promoted into more powerful positions of control and influence would never allow a second look at the conviction that has helped build their position, and as Bazley herself found out when trying to investigate cops, even she was threatened. By having an outside body free of cop influence look at these issues, we get the truth, can we be assured the supreme court here in NZ is free from such cop influence?

Bain conviction quashed
The Privy Council has quashed the 12-year-old murder convictions of David Bain for killing the five members of his family but he will have to stay in jail while the authorities here decide if he should face a retrial. The Privy Council last night said there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice but it was up to the Crown in New Zealand to decide whether Bain should be tried again. Bain, now 35, has maintained his innocence since being found guilty in May 1995 of murdering his mother, Margaret, father Robin, sisters Arawa, 19, and Laniet, 18, and brother Stephen, 14, in the family?s Dunedin home in 1994. Lawyers for Bain in March laid out nine arguments why his convictions should be quashed and the Privy Council last night agreed. "In the opinion of the board, the fresh evidence adduced in relation to the nine points summarised above, taken together, compels the conclusion that a substantial miscarriage of justice has actually occurred in this case." It said the convictions should be set aside. "For all these reasons the board concludes that, as asked by the appellant, the appeal should be allowed, the convictions quashed and a retrial reordered. The appellant must remain in custody meanwhile." Bain will have to wait in Christchurch Prison until a decision is made on a fresh trial. "The order of the board for a retrial does not of course restrict the duty of the Crown to decide whether a retrial now would be in the public interest," the Law Lords said in their written decision, handed out after a very brief court hearing last night in London. They said where issues were not fully and fairly considered by a trial jury, it was not the role of appeal courts to decide whether Bain was guilty. "At any retrial it will be decided whether the appellant is guilty or not, and nothing in this judgment should influence the verdict in any way." The Privy Council made detailed comments on each of the nine points raised by Bain?s lawyers. Among reasons for finding there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice was that there was substantial doubt whether Bain would have been convicted if evidence discovered post-trial had been put to the jury. Robin Bain?s mental state was discussed, with mention of journals found in his school office containing stories of the mass murder of a family. "Many of those facts are highly contentious and the evidence could well have influenced the jury?s assessment of them." Robin Bain?s potential murder motive was also discussed. "If the jury found Robin to be already in a state of deep depression and now, a school principal and ex-missionary, facing the public revelation of very serious sex offences against his teenage daughter they might reasonably conclude that this could have driven him to commit these acts." In New Zealand, Detective Superintendent Malcolm Burgess said police would examine the detail of the Privy Council decision before deciding how to proceed. He said he could not comment on the specifics of the case as the matter was now sub judice. The Bain case was the final New Zealand one ever to be heard by the Privy Council, which has been replaced by the new Supreme Court. In 1994, Bain was arrested four days after making a frantic 111 call from the family home. Police responding to the emergency found him huddled in the house babbling incoherently. All five of his family members had died from .22 gunshot wounds to their heads. Bain was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 16 years. He has argued that his father killed the family then himself while he (David) was out doing his early morning paper run. At his last-ditch appeal to the Privy Council in March, Michael Reed, QC, told the five Law Lords that Bain could not have committed the murders because bloody sock-prints found at the murder scene were too small to fit his feet and had to belong to his father. Robin Bain had been identified as "clinically depressed" and perhaps "psychotic" and had a motive because he was in an incestuous relationship with a daughter and was likely to lose his marriage, career and freedom if found out.
- NZPA


The case

* June 1994: David Bain charged with murdering five members of his family.

* May 1995: High Court jury finds Bain guilty. He is later sentenced to at least 16 years? jail.

* December 1995: Court of Appeal dismisses Bain appeal.

* May 1996: Petition to Privy Council seeking leave to appeal fails.

* June 2000: Aspects of case referred back to the Court of Appeal.

* September 2003: Court of Appeal hears case and decides retrial is not needed.

* June 2006: Bain?s legal team wins right to a full Privy Council hearing.

* March 2007: Five-day Privy Council hearing in London begins.

* Last night: Privy Council quashes convictions and says NZ authorities can order a retrial if they wish.

7 Comments:

At 11/5/07 8:31 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here goes Bomber again,off on his anti Police theme again. Hey mate lets just sack all the Police and have a lawless state, unless you can come up with a better idea.
And now the sedition law is not going to be repealed maybe you may end up in Hotel Mt Eden on a 60 day all expenses Tax payerfunder Maori Holiday like ya Gay mate.
TRC

 
At 11/5/07 11:13 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Privy Council being a third party, disconnected from political and "other" influences, is a good thing.

 
At 11/5/07 11:15 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Take a look at the murder of those poor Swedes, and of Tamihere who was charged and convicted of their murder.

Now it is well known that the Police case against Tamihere was just one big fairy-tale.

That sucks.

 
At 11/5/07 2:15 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Better check your facts before starting a post with that sort of declaration Bomber.

The Law Lords didn't declare Bain innocent - they simply said the first trial was flawed and therefore a retrial must be held. There's a big, big difference.

 
At 12/5/07 12:19 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Bain case has always been sus so it does not surprise me if you know the full details of the case you would understand how fucked up that family was (e.g the farther was sleeping with the daughter) but any way good to hear that the PC did its job, its very unusual for it to hear a criminal case, like it happens never.

The next big one THAT really should be over turned is Peter Ellis that was the biggest bs that has happened in this countries legal history, the poor guy is hunted cause omg he is a out there gay kinder garden teacher the interviews were completely undertaken wrong, the judge was biased you name it, but he still stands convicted

 
At 12/5/07 6:43 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The man has been in jail for 13 years for gods sake.

If he was innocent; he not only lost all his family, he was thrown unjustly into jail. That is an appalling act of inhumanely inflicted suffering.

To put a human being through further suffering on the off chance that he might be guilty, is barbaric.

I believe that he was convicted for the same reason as Arthur Alan Thomas.

His appearance; nothing more nor less (why else do they keep running the same photo over & over?)

Stuff the egos of the Judiciary.

 
At 13/5/07 3:15 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am happy for the Man ... he is free at long last and like the govt and the pigs of the day no one is willing to admitt there error, shit no.... Wankers that write of this fucking blog still seem to think there can justify Bain's 13 year prison term... appeals before the High court and Court of Appeal prove just how fucked our justice system is.... not to the self righteous gits here, Oh shit no... NZ justice is so honest like our raping pig force...we hate and bleat about the yankee's yet with the coruption within out own pig force and Justice system it seems to me, that we are becoming what we hate the most....

The fact that some guttless wonder posted this crap Anonymous said...
Better check your facts before starting a post with that sort of declaration Bomber. The Law Lords didn't declare Bain innocent - they simply said the first trial was flawed and therefore a retrial must be held. There's a big, big difference.

If this git couldnt see by his own words that if the trial was "flawed" is leave much room for doubt, everything seem to be ok when its not them.. why was his trial flawd to get a conviction? according to some here hes guilty. Yet major public out cry over these murders, pigs needed to close this one up quick... fuck it if he was innocent we can paint the nasty picture everyone will believe us, we the pigs... Well my opinion, stuff you ignorant pricks.... I am glad he free...Now compensate the man for 13years you stole from him... WANKERS

oh i guess it will be your tax money that pays him out too...lol

Privy council should stay..so they can sort out these colonial rug rats, pricks cant be trusted.

Hated By Most

 

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