David Bain - closing arguments this week

Lawyers from both sides will present closing arguments this week, with the jury expected to retire to consider its verdict on Thursday.

SHOOT: Well, it remains to be seen how bright a New Zealand jury is. The prosecution ought to provide a closing argument along the lines of: "Use your nut." The defence will probably say, "Look, poor David. He's served a sentence and there is some doubt." There is some doubt, but not a lot. In my view not enough - not nearly - to convince that he is innocent.

clipped from tvnz.co.nz But the defence case ended in an unusual way, when their final witness disappeared. Week number 12 and pathologist number five, as once again the issue at stake was whether or not Robin Bain could have taken his own life. On Monday forensic pathologist Stephen Cordner told the court: "There is nothing in that wound to Robin in my view to negate the conclusion of suicide." The three pathologists giving evidence for the Crown all disagreed, maintaining suicide was unlikely or impossible. But David Bain's defence team produced two pathologists and a series of photos showing how his father Robin could have done it. The defence case ended in the most unusual of circumstances as their prospective witness, Dean Cottle, disappeared. In the statement Cottle said he met up with Laniet just days before the murders and she had told him she was going home that weekend to tell the family everything about what had been occurring.