Bain trial told bullseye target found in van

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

A bullseye target with what appeared to be bullet holes was found by police in a van used by Robin Bain, a court has heard.

Jacques LeGros, a detective constable investigating the death of five members of the Bain family in June, 1994, said today he seized items of interest from a blue Commer Van on the Bain property, but did not seize the target.

Robin Bain, whose son David is now on trial in the High Court for the murder of his family, had driven the van and sometimes slept in it.

David Bain's defence team argue that Robin shot dead four members of his family with a .22 rifle, before turning the gun on himself.

Asked today by defence lawyer, Helen Cull QC, if he had seen the target in a sink in the van, along with jumper leads, Mr LeGros said he did recall it.

Then asked if it was taken as a police exhibit, Mr LeGros said : "Not to my recollection, no".

Mr LeGros said while he saw the target, and what appeared to be holes in it, he did not examine it, but another detective may have. Ms Cull then put it to Mr LeGros that the target was no longer in existence, and not a police exhibit.

However Crown prosecutor, Kieran Raftery, responded by producing a court exhibit, which he asked Mr LeGros to examine. Mr LeGros confirmed it was similar to what he had seen in the sink in the van.

Mr LeGros also examined the bedroom of David's brother, Stephen, 14, following what appeared to be a violent and bloody struggle in the room.

He said he took care not to move any items in the room, but was forced to move some items on the floor in order to remove Stephen's body.

Underneath a duchess in Stephen's room, a .22 ammunition cartridge was found, Mr LeGros said. Earlier police found another .22 cartridge and a driver's licence in the name of David Bain in a set of drawers in the room.

Today is David Bain's 37th birthday, and what appeared to be several birthday cards were sitting on the table waiting for him when he arrived in court this morning.