▁innoc ence ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁possible ▁conclusion " ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁" tot ally ▁innoc ent ". ▁Kar am ▁was ▁subsequently ▁described ▁in ▁some ▁media ▁as ▁a ▁' fre edom ▁f ighter ' ▁and ▁his ▁support ▁helped ▁bring ▁about ▁a ▁ret rial ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁application ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Court ▁of ▁App e al ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁princip ally ▁on ▁whether ▁the ▁trial ▁judge ▁had ▁er red ▁in ▁ref using ▁to ▁admit ▁C ott le ' s ▁testim ony . ▁The ▁Court ▁refused ▁to ▁hear ▁the ▁appeal ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁the ▁" C rown ▁case ▁appeared ▁very ▁strong ▁and ▁the ▁defence ▁theory ▁not ▁at ▁all ▁pla us ible ." ▁▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁B ain ▁pet ition ed ▁the ▁Governor - General ▁for ▁a ▁p ardon , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁passed ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Justice . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Justice ▁Minister ▁Phil ▁G off ▁said ▁the ▁investigation ▁had ▁shown ▁that ▁' a ▁number ▁of ▁errors ' ▁may ▁have ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁Crown ' s ▁case ▁against ▁B ain . ▁▁ ▁The ▁case ▁was ▁then ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁App e al ▁for ▁a ▁full ▁hearing ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁The ▁court ▁heard ▁subm issions ▁over ▁five ▁days , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁persu aded ▁that ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁mis car riage ▁of ▁justice ▁and ▁the ▁appeal ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁on ▁ 1