KEY POINTS:
Murder accused David Bain has been allowed back to Dunedin for the first time since his conviction for the murder of five family members there in 1995, in order to prepare for his retrial next month.
When released from Christchurch Men's Prison in May 2007, Bain was bailed to supporter Joe Karam's home in Te Kauwhata, in the northern Waikato.
In August 2007 he was allowed to move to West Auckland.
Bail conditions did not allow him to set foot in the South Island, Hamilton or Wellington, where extended family members lived.
Bain's lawyer Michael Reed told the Otago Daily Times "special bail" had been granted by Justice Pankhurst allowing Bain into Dunedin for "trial preparation".
Crown prosecutor Kieran Raftery said there had been no objection as long as the visit was for "a bona fide purpose".
The retrial was scheduled to begin in Christchurch on March 2.
- NZPA
