Blood on David Bain's socks, murder trial told

Mr Hentschel said the length of David Bain's socks were measured at 270mm and sockprints in the house were 280mm. Photo / Pool

Testing indicated blood on the soles of David Bain's socks after his family were killed and bloody sockprints found in the family home, a court has heard.

Retired forensic scientist Peter Hentschel, who assisted police in the inquiry into the death of Bain's parents and siblings in June, 1994, told the High Court in Christchurch today about finding blood on clothing worn by David Bain, and also on the clothing on the body of his father Robin.

David Bain, 37, is on trial for shooting dead his family, but his defence team say Robin Bain shot the rest of the family before turning the .22 rifle on himself.

Mr Hentschel said today he examined David's socks and noticed several spots of blood on them.

He then carried out luminol testing on the socks - using a chemical that reacts with blood and creates a glow - and got a positive reaction on the soles of the socks.

Mr Hentschel explained yesterday how he also used luminol testing to find five bloody sock or stocking prints in the bedroom of David's mother, Margaret, and in the hallway of the house. Milton Weir, the detective sergeant in charge of the crime scene, has stated the prints were likely left by the killer.

Mr Hentschel said the length of David's socks were measured at 270mm. The sockprints in the house were measured at 280mm.

Blood was also detected on the back of David's sweatshirt and a red stain on David's black shorts, which tested positively for blood in testing "but not very strong". No blood was found on David's cycle shorts or underpants.

He examined a pair of spectacle frames in David's room and found they were bent and damaged. Two glass lenses were in the room, one wrapped in tissue. Only one of the lenses fitted the spectacle frames in the room.

A piece of paper with red circles found in David's room had holes in it made by bullets.

Small specks of blood were found on the duvet on David's bed, and this was passed on for further testing.

Mr Hentschel also gave evidence today about blood found on the trackpants of Robin Bain as he lay dead in the lounge in the house, with a .22 rifle next to him. He said this blood appeared to have been dropped on the pants from a height.

Fingernail scrapings from Robin contained dirt and possible blood. But there was not enough material for testing to confirm it was blood.

Mr Hentschel examined skin taken from Robin's hands for gunshot residue in the laboratory. This testing was to find any evidence of Robin having fired a gun on the day of the killings.

"There were no particles present which I could say were gunshot residue particles."

Mr Hentschel gave evidence yesterday of examining the .22 rifle that lay next to Robin's body, and it being "quite extensively smeared with blood."

He said blood of human origin was detected on the rifle. He could recall at least four fingerprints on one side of the rifle.

"When I saw the fingerprints on the rifle, the way they were deposited indicated to me a hand which had blood on it had touched the rifle."