David Bain, the Police and the PCA.

* June 20, 1994 - David Bain's parents, Robin and Margaret, two sisters, Laniet and Arawa, and brother, Stephen, are shot and killed in their Dunedin home. Bain calls emergency services in a distraught state.
* June 24, 1994 - Bain is charged with five counts of murder.
* May 29, 1995 - Jury finds Bain guilty on all five murder counts.
* June 21, 1995 - Bain sentenced to mandatory life term, with a minimum non-parole period of 16 years.
* April 16, 1997 - Joe Karam launches his book, David and Goliath. It says Robin, not David, was the killer, and that police botched the investigation.
* May 5, 1997 - Police appoint Assistant Commissioner Brion Duncan to head an independent inquiry reviewing police handling of the murder investigation.
* November 25, 1997 - Police in the murder investigation are cleared by the joint police and Police Complaints Authority inquiry. It finds no serious flaws in the police investigation and says criticism that police were incompetent is unjustified.
* March 1998 - Police officers to sue Karam over claims in his book.
* June 9, 2000 - Damages suit brought against Karam by two Dunedin detectives, one since retired, fails in the High Court at Auckland.
* May 10, 2007 - Privy Council delivers decision.

Mr Karam believed "without any shadow of doubt" that Bain was innocent.
There was not one defining moment when he believed Bain was innocent, but rather the evidence started to unravel, he said.
"Mainly because the police in particular were so obstructive in assisting with investigating things that didn't get investigated properly in the start."

Mr Karam has been vocal in his criticism of the police, alleging incompetence which resulted in the police suing him, unsuccessfully, for defamation.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis, who was the arresting officer in the case, said he was "stuck for words" after hearing the news.
"I couldn't tell you how I really feel. It wouldn't be professional, As there could be a retrial, any further comments would be sub judice, so it would not be wise to say anything further, I've just got a job to do."

Policewatch says perhaps after Davids compensation payout from the Police, the deadline for body armour might be be extended to 2010!!