Fifteen minutes earlier, Bain (35), wearing a black suit and a crisp white shirt without a tie, smiled and looked to the heavens as Justice Fogarty granted him bail. Bain was jailed after a jury found him guilty of murdering his mother, Margaret, his father, Robin, sisters Arawa (19), Laniet (18), and brother Stephen (14) at the family's home in Every St, Dunedin, in 1994.
In incredible scenes inside High Court No 1 yesterday, a packed public gallery cheered and clapped and some supporters burst into tears as Bain's bail application was granted at 3pm, about 45 minutes into the hour-long hearing.
Bain's convictions were last week quashed and a retrial ordered by the Privy Council, in London. Yesterday, after 12 years in prison, he walked out of court, remanded on bail to reappear in the High Court in Christchurch on July 26. His bail conditions include that he not return to Dunedin, and that he live with supporter Joe Karam, at Te Kauwhata, south of Auckland.
Bain said yesterday he was determined to "try and find some normality somewhere". He told reporters he was elated to be out of prison. "My friends kept my head together." He said he was looking forward to a good salad, although prison food - especially that cooked by himself - had not been too bad. When asked what the first thing he wanted to do was, he said ". . . catch up with my friends. My friends have stood by me from the start and this is all thanks to them".