KEY POINTS:
Most New Zealanders believe a retrial for David Bain is unnecessary, according to a recent poll by UMR Research.
The poll, among a representative sample of New Zealanders over 18, showed that 66 per cent of people believed Bain was innocent of murdering his parents and three siblings, compared with just 40 per cent five years ago.
The poll follows last month's Herald-DigiPoll, which found 60% of people believed David Bain was not guilty of the murders of his family and 57 per cent, believed a new trial should not proceed.
UMR research said its poll illustrated some "worrying signs" about public confidence in the justice system.
The researchers said there had been a significant turnaround in public opinion about the Bain's guilt and to a lesser extent about the guilt of convicted Marlborough Sounds double-killer Scott Watson and "to a much lesser degree" Palmerston North man Mark Lundy, convicted for murdering his wife and daughter.
Five years ago most people (59 per cent) polled thought Scott Watson was guilty of murdering Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, but today only 42 per cent believed him guilty.
The number of people who believed Lundy guilty had dropped from 76 per cent to 65 per cent over the same period, the poll showed.
In Bain's case, the poll found that younger New Zealanders were most likely to favour a retrial and older people more likely to be opposed.
Among those polled under 30, 41 per cent favoured a retrial and among 60-year-olds, 26 per cent felt a retrial should be held.
Men (39 per cent) were more inclined to favour a retrial than women (32 per cent).
- NZPA
