David Bain trial: Week in summary

Wednesday, April 15

The important issues of whether Robin Bain could have committed suicide and when David Bain could have heard his sister Laniet gurgling dominate the day.

Forensic pathology professor James Ferris agrees with pathologist Ken Thomson that the rifle must have been a short distance from Robin's head when fired, contrasting with the theory of suicide with the rifle against the head promoted by Bain's defence team.

Bain told police he heard Laniet, 18, gurgling when he got home from his paper round after the shootings, but Professor Ferris says Laniet could only have gurgled after the first of three shots to the head, with either of the next two likely to have been immediately fatal. Bain's defence team raise the theory that Robin had a bite mark on his hand that he could have got in a violent struggle with his son Stephen, 14, but Dr Thomson calls the marks "remarkably trivial".

Thursday, April 16

Professor Ferris gives his calculation that the rifle was 30 to 42cm away from Robin's head when fired. Based on these calculations, suicide is "simply impossible", he says. He raises the possibility that Robin's body was moved after the fatal gunshot wound - based on bloodstains on curtains nearby.

The defence suggests the rifle has a problem with jamming, backed up by the former owner and a police armourer, and that it misfed bullets five times on the day of the killings in the Bain house. The defence says one of these jams occurred where Robin's body was found, and if Bain had tried to reload the rifle after the misfire, Robin would surely have tried to get out of the way.