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The Christchurch Civic
Creche Case |
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I wonder where the distinction
lies between mood of the nation and mob rule. Joe Karam and others are
impressed by a mood that now deems David Bain not a mass murderer, but mob or
popular sentiment can be a very fickle and treacherous instrument, and God
help us if it ever comes to lead judicial decisions. Over a decade and a half ago, mob
opinion helped convict Peter Ellis, who is now widely believed to be
innocent, and, reversing the phenomenon, the mood of the nation now seems set
to exonerate Mr Bain. I still believe him to be guilty,
and base this little informed opinion on the message found on the family
computer. If Robin were the murderer, as the message implies, the message
would be a suicide note, and would follow the almost invariable pattern of
such sad documents. It would combine regret, apology, farewell, and some sort
of explanation, briefly or at length. It is almost impossible to believe that
a suicide left the message as found. The jurors at David's trial seemed
to agree that such a message represents, beyond doubt, the clumsy and
ill-considered attempt of a confused and terrified young man to shift blame,
and create a smokescreen. It is so blatantly self- serving that it can hardly
have been the work of Robin Bain. |
