▁to ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁his ▁long time ▁supp orter ▁Kar am . ▁Alt ogether , ▁he ▁served ▁almost ▁th ir teen ▁years ▁of ▁a ▁life ▁sentence ▁with ▁a ▁minimum ▁six teen - year ▁non - par ole ▁period . ▁ ▁Ret rial ▁The ▁ret rial ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁the ▁Christ ch urch ▁High ▁Court , ▁with ▁the ▁j ury ▁sw orn ▁in ▁on ▁ 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁B ain ▁ple aded ▁not ▁guilty ▁to ▁the ▁five ▁murder ▁charges . ▁The ▁defence ▁argued ▁that ▁Robin ▁committed ▁the ▁mur ders ▁and ▁then ▁committed ▁suic ide . ▁The ▁trial ▁last ed ▁about ▁three ▁months ▁and ▁the ▁j ury ▁took ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁day ▁to ▁find ▁B ain ▁not ▁guilty ▁on ▁all ▁five ▁charges . ▁▁ ▁Out side ▁court , ▁an ▁emot ional ▁B ain ▁thank ed ▁his ▁supp or ters , ▁particularly ▁Kar am . ▁" With out ▁Joe ▁and ▁his ▁solid ▁strength ▁... ▁I ▁wouldn ' t ▁have ▁made ▁it ▁through ▁this ▁far ", ▁B ain ▁said . ▁Kar am ▁said ▁the ▁trial ▁would ▁go ▁down ▁as ▁the ▁" c riminal ▁trial ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ’ s ▁history ". ▁Some ▁comment ators ▁question ed ▁the ▁behaviour ▁of ▁jur ors ▁who ▁h ug ged ▁B ain ▁and ▁attended ▁a ▁" v ict ory ▁party " ▁after ▁the ▁ver dict . ▁Chris ▁Gal la vin , ▁a ▁senior ▁law ▁lect urer ▁at ▁Can ter bury ▁University , ▁said , ▁" Wh ile ▁this ▁is ▁unusual ▁behaviour , ▁the ▁whole ▁case ▁is