Bain said 'black hands coming', trial told

David Bain denies killing five members of his family. Photo / Pool

David Bain complained about "black hands coming for him" on the morning that five of his family members were found dead in their Dunedin home, a court heard today.

Two ambulance officers who attended to Bain on June 20, 1994 told the High Court in Christchurch that Bain made comments about the hands as he lay in a foetal position on his bedroom floor.

John Dick said it was very hard to hear and he had to ask Bain to repeat it a "few times" but Bain said: "The black hands are coming".

When asked if Bain's demeanour changed when he made the comments, Mr Dick said: "He just wriggled around a little bit more than normal but he didn't go out of the foetal position".

He said Bain complained of a head ache and that he felt nauseous.

Mr Dick said Bain's eyelids were flickering and he opened his eyes occasionally.

He said Bain's heart rate and blood oxygen levels were being monitored and showed "read outs of a normal person".

Another ambulance officer, Jan Scott, told the court that she too had heard Bain's comment about the "hands".

She said Bain answered questions about his music studies at university but did not say anything more about the "hands".

Ms Scott said while he did answer questions about university, he "never answered our questions about what had gone on in the house," Ms Scott said.

Earlier, Mr Dick told the court that Bain was transported in an ambulance to the police station and was wheeled to an interview room on the fifth floor.

Mr Dick stayed with Bain for about half an hour in the police interview room.

He said Bain was "calm and relaxed and talking quite coherently".

Mr Dick said Bain was answering questions and appeared "quite normal".

He said Bain told him that he had to go to university.

Mr Dick described the statement as an "out of context and mixed up statement".