Bain 'gathering' attracts lone person

A woman visits the graves of the Bain family. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
A woman visits the graves of the Bain family. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
The suggestion of a "gathering" at the graves of the Bain family yesterday to mark the 16th anniversary of their deaths drew just one person, besides an Otago Daily Times reporter and photographer.

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she was behind a notice in the Otago University Students Association magazine Critic stating there would be "a gathering of friends, family and anyone else" at the family's East Taieri grave site at 2pm.

As light rain fell, the woman explained she was a school friend of Arawa Bain and also knew her sister Laniet and brother Stephen.

She had suggested a gathering at 2pm but said she was not greatly surprised to be the only one there at that time.

Arawa, Laniet and Stephen, along with their parents Margaret and Robin, died in the 1994 shooting in the family home in Every St, Dunedin.

David Bain served 13 years of a life sentence for their murders before being acquitted of all charges at a retrial before a jury in Christchurch last year, Mr Bain's lawyer arguing the murders were carried out by his father, Robin.

Spokesman for David Bain Joe Karam told the Otago Daily Times yesterday Mr Bain spent the anniversary with family members.

"There are some members of David's extended family who are very supportive of him and he chooses to spend this day with them," he said.

Mr Karam said Mr Bain had been to the graves "at the very first opportunity he had" and had been there "more than once".

Two memorial notices appeared in Saturday's ODT, one placed by the unidentified woman and the other by Dunedin relatives.

- mark.price@odt.co.nz

 

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