Bain all set to live life under a new name in a new place
David Bain has embarked on a new life, with a new name.
The 45-year-old, who was acquitted of the murder of his family in 2009, has ditched the Bain part of his name and taken the surname of his wife, Liz, through a deed poll process.
His new name, which is officially recorded on his birth certificate, is William David Cullen Davies. Previously, his full name was David Cullen Bain.
It’s understood the couple, who have a young child, are heading for Australia where they intend to start afresh.
Their Christchurch house is on the market for $440,000 and the family have part of $925,000 to spend after the Government made an ex-gratia payment to Bain earlier this year for expenses incurred in his compensation claim.
The claim itself was rejected by Cabinet after former Australian judge Ian Callinan found Bain had not proved his innocence on the balance of probabilities.
The Bain family – Robin, 58; Margaret, 50; Arawa, 19; Laniet, 18; and Stephen, 14 – were fatally shot on June 20, 1994, in their house in Andersons Bay in Dunedin.
David Bain was convicted of the murders after a trial in 1995 but the convictions were quashed by the Privy Council in 2007. He was acquitted of the killings after a new trial in Christchurch in 2009.
The defence argued the family was shot by David’s father Robin who, it said, snapped over allegations made by Laniet that he was having an incestuous relationship with her.
The first indication Bain had changed his name came last month when Fairfax rang the contact number for ‘‘Will’’ who was selling the Bishopdale house owned by Liz Davies as an ‘‘agent’’. When contacted by a reporter, Will said he was not David Bain and was selling the house on behalf of a ‘‘lady’’. The house remains on the market.
Bain has gone through several name changes in his life. He was born David Bain, but his mother who was estranged from Robin changed her children’s surnames to Cullen-Bain when the family returned to New Zealand from Papua New Guinea in 1988.
Cullen was Margaret’s maiden name. She was originally from Alexandra.
Davies is an English patronymic surname, usually associated with Wales. It means ‘‘the son of David’’, from the Hebrew name meaning ‘‘beloved’’.
Will Davies (formerly David Bain) could not be reached for comment.