David Bain could not explain why his fingerprints were on the rifle used to kill his family, the officer who arrested Bain on June 24, 1994, has told the High Court at Christchurch.
Neither could Bain say how he came to have blood on his socks, the front of his shorts, and the back of his T-shirt, Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis said in evidence yesterday.
Det Snr Sgt Croudis was the last of the Crown's 130 witnesses in the trial of 37-year-old Bain for the murders of his father, mother, brother and two sisters at their Every St home almost 15 years ago.
Bain had been cautioned and advised of his rights when he arrived at the CIB with his uncle four days after the shootings.
When asked why his fingerprints in blood were on his .22 Winchester rifle found beside the body of his father, Robin, he said he did not know.
He had not touched the rifle, to his knowledge, and did not have blood on his hands because he had washed them.
When asked about 20 minutes he could not account for on the morning his family was shot, and whether that was an explanation for "what happened that morning", Bain said "No, it's an explanation for what happened to me".
He talked of the shock when he found out how many shots were fired and said it was "like a dream".
He also mentioned having "blacked out" at a concert.
Det Snr Sgt Croudis then asked Bain how his bloody fingerprint came to be on the washing machine and the accused said he did not know.
He agreed he had done the washing but did not know if he had washed any blood-stained clothing.
He could not say how blood got on the back of the white T-shirt he had been wearing that morning and agreed there was "no reason for blood" if what he had earlier told Detective Greg Dunne about the morning of the shootings was true.
Bain said he did not know how he got blood on his socks, unless he stood in blood.
He could not explain why there was blood in the hand basin, on a large towel in the bathroom, or on the door frame of Stephen's room.
Det Snr Sgt Croudis said he told Bain the blood on the door frame was a small amount compared with the blood found in Stephen's room.
Stephen had fought for his life, he told Bain, asking how the blood had got there.
"I don't know," was the reply.
Bain agreed he owned three pairs of gloves, including a white fabric pair he bought for a ball at Larnach Castle earlier in June 1994.
He said his father also had a pair of white gloves, which were probably kept in the caravan on the property.
His father's gloves were slightly different from his.
He said he knew nothing about a heavily blood-stained pair of gloves found in Stephen's bedroom.
At that point, Bain asked for a solicitor and Michael Guest was contacted.
Det Snr Sgt Croudis said he advised Bain he would like a doctor to check some injuries which were noticed on the Monday, but the accused declined.
Early that afternoon, Bain was formally charged with the murders of Robin, Margaret, Arawa, Laniet and Stephen Bain.
He said "No, I'm not guilty".
Under cross-examination by Michael Reed QC, the witness agreed Bain had been relatively relaxed and co-operative, answering questions until advised by Mr Guest not to do so.
He agreed that at one period when he and Bain were alone in the interview room having a general discussion without any notes being taken, Laniet's name came up.
He indicated police believed she was involved in prostitution and, he agreed, Bain had become "visibly upset and angry".
Mr Reed put a series of propositions to Det Snr Sgt Croudis about the police failure to interview certain people or not call as witnesses some people they had interviewed.
He said one criticism was about Robin Bain's involvement in the deaths, that he had been depressed in the time leading up to June 20.
Mr Reed also suggested the police investigation into an allegation of incest as a possible motive for Robin to be the killer had not been thorough because police did not interview witnesses they knew about.
Det Snr Sgt Croudis agreed it would have been possible for some people Mr Reed named to have been interviewed on that question, but police had not done that.
