Bain's long-delayed OE a time for soul searching

Joe Karam sees David Bain off at Auckland International Airport. Photo / Herald on Sunday

The head of David Bain's legal team believes his trip is the "best possible way" to do some soul searching. And Michael Reed QC described Bain's journey as his "long-delayed OE".

"He needs to sort his life out and get away and decide what he wants to do."

Reed plans to meet Bain in London so they can visit the Privy Council "to see where he got justice". Bain was allowed a retrial only after taking his case to the council.

Robin Bain's cousin Michael Mayson said it was a "good idea" for Bain to visit his Scottish roots. "He told us he was going to have a break overseas. I think it's probably a good chance to clear the head. I've thought about what I would feel if I had that sort of notoriety. Perhaps going overseas would be a good break from that too where he can be anonymous."

But not all of his relatives knew about the trip. "No, the family haven't been told that" said Valerie Boyd, one of Margaret Bain's sisters. "He left today? Fascinating. No, we know nothing about it."

Auckland friend Peter Connolly, who taught Bain to ride horses, will help look after his horse Boysie. Connolly hoped time out of the limelight would allow Bain to slip back into New Zealand unnoticed, if he chose to do so. "Hopefully, things will die down here, too, and when he comes back he'll get some anonymity. He gets recognised everywhere he goes."

Long-time supporter, Lelia Read, 85, said: "I feel it's a wonderful time for David to be able to go and to really just relax and feel just himself."

Read's daughter Deborah - who offered Bain a room at her West Auckland home after he was released from prison - said Karam showed Bain a world travel book.

"He had a list [of places he wanted to visit] as long as his arm," she said. "David's quite open-minded about where the road might take him."