David Bain: It's a waking nightmare

David Bain speaking at the International Injustice Conference at Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth. Photo / Sunday Times, Ross Swanborough

David Bain spoke for the first time today at a public conference in Western Australia, saying he would never recover from the loss of his family and admitted he was still in counselling.

"It's never easier, because it taps into the most painful thing that could happen to a person," he told the Herald on Sunday.

"For me it's not a dream, it's a waking nightmare and I've got to voluntarily talk about it.

"Every time I talk to the counsellor, every time I talk to Joe or my lawyers, I have to re-live that nightmare."

Bain delivered his first formal public speech as part of a three-day conference on legal justice in Australia - which also included Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton and Dr Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.

The New Zealander was convicted of the murder in 1994 of his parents Margaret and Robin Bain and siblings, Arawa, Laniet and Stephen at their Dunedin home. He was then acquitted in a retrial in 2009 after serving 13 years in jail.

The conference in Perth was billed as a world-first gathering of forensic experts, lawyers and justice advocates.

He told his story alongside his long-time supporter, Joe Karam.

Bain said addressing the conference with his long time supporter and advocate Joe Karam would probably be his last public speech.

"At this point in time, it's a one off. I was invited nearly two years ago and I read up about it and it was an opportunity to speak amongst a group of people that share the same opinions and challenges that Joe faced."

Read the full exclusive post-conference interview with David Bain in tomorrow's Herald on Sunday.