David Bain trial: 21 ammunition shells found in father's caravan

Detective Kevin Anderson told the court he should have measured the height of blood spots on curtains, but didn't. Photo / Pool

Police found 21 used ammunition shells in the caravan in which Robin Bain had been sleeping, his son's murder trial has heard.

A .22 rifle was lying next to Robin's body on June 20, 1994, when he and four members of his family were found dead at the Bains' Dunedin property.

Robin's son, David, is on trial in the High Court in Christchurch for shooting dead his family, but David's lawyers say it was Robin who killed his family before turning the rifle on himself.

The trial has previously heard about dozens of rounds of .22 ammunition found by police in David's wardrobe.

Robin had been sleeping in the caravan at the back of the family home after becoming estranged from his wife, Margaret, and today the court heard evidence from a police detective who examined the caravan after the deaths.

Stephen Murray told the court 20 spent .22 shells were found on a bench in the the caravan with a cassette tape on top of them.

"I consider they had been there for some time due to where they were lying, and because of the dust and the dirt."

Mr Murray said another spent .22 shell was found on a bunk bed in the caravan, while a live .22 bullet was found under a book.

'House plans'

Detective Kevin Anderson earlier told the court he did not take note of plans for a new house for the Bain family, and whether there was any bedroom allocated in the plans for Robin.

Mr Anderson said he took notes of items seized from the room of David's sister, Laniet, after the shootings.

But asked by defence lawyer, Helen Cull QC, if he recorded anything about house plans in Laniet's room before they were later destroyed by fire, he said he had not. She asked him if the plans had any room for Robin.

Mr Anderson: "If they had no apparent involvement in what happened in that room, there would be no immediate necessity to secure those items".

The court trial has previously heard from neighbours of the Bains that some members of the Bain family had been looking forward to a new home being built for them. Robin Bain had been estranged from his wife and sleeping in a caravan at the back of the house.

David Bain's defence team say a depressed Robin Bain shot dead four members of his family before turning the rifle on himself. But Crown prosecutors say it was David, now 36, who gunned down his parents and three siblings.

Mr Anderson also told the court today he took a statement from Constable Leslie Andrew, who witnessed David collapsing in his bedroom after emergency services had arrived at the house that morning.

He agreed with Ms Cull he took notes from Mr Andrew that David's "eyes didn't change or roll back" when he collapsed.

Previous witnesses have expressed doubt over whether the apparent fit or seizure by David Bain was genuine.

Mr Anderson also examined the lounge in the house where the body of Robin was found on the floor with a .22 rifle lying nearby.

He said Robin's body was moved when examined by a pathologist, and two drops of blood fell from Robin's head at that time.

Live and spent .22 ammunition was seized from the lounge, and blood on the curtains leading to an adjoining computer alcove were also noted.

Asked about the height of the blood spots on the curtains, Mr Anderson said: "I should have measured the blood spots before I took the curtains down, but I didn't".