STATEMENT
ANALYSIS OF DAVID BAIN INTERVIEWED BY DETECTIVE DUNNE
The
following day after the murders DS Dunne asked David Bain some
questions.
I
will refer to David as the subject.
I
have included some quotations about specific words by statement
analysis expert Mark McLish.
Transcript
Q. Having had time to think about it , can you think if you went into Stephen's room on the Monday?
A. No.
Q. How about Laniet's room?
A. No.
Q. Downstairs in Arawa's room?
A. No .
Q. After checking your Mum and wanting to know how everyone else was , why didn't you check on Stephen?
A. I don't know, I was calling my Dad because of a feeling of security,wanting someone who could deal with the situation.
Q. Are you positive you never went into any of the other rooms?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you have any cuts on your hands on the Monday?
A. No .
Q. How do you explain the 25 minutes in the house before you called the ambulance?
A. I don't know, slow.
Q. Without harping on about it Dave, can you think of any reason why you said that your whole family had been killed to the 111 lady when you had only seen or knew about Mum and Dad?
A.
I don’t know.
Q.
When you came home did you bring a paper with you?
A. No.
Q. Is one delivered?
A. Yes, it's delivered by Kieran Garbutt of 6 Mahon Street to the letterbox at home. He's usually past our gate at quarter to six.
Q. Did you take the paper inside on Monday from the letterbox?
A. No, I didn't. I haven't thought about it until now. I normally would take it in but sometimes, if I walk my run , Dad may get it at 7 a.m.
Q. Do you remember if the paper was in the letterbox ?
A . No. I don't.
A. No.
Q. Is one delivered?
A. Yes, it's delivered by Kieran Garbutt of 6 Mahon Street to the letterbox at home. He's usually past our gate at quarter to six.
Q. Did you take the paper inside on Monday from the letterbox?
A. No, I didn't. I haven't thought about it until now. I normally would take it in but sometimes, if I walk my run , Dad may get it at 7 a.m.
Q. Do you remember if the paper was in the letterbox ?
A . No. I don't.
Analysis
Q.
After checking your Mum and wanting to know how everyone else was ,
why didn't you check on Stephen?
A. I don't know, I was calling my Dad because of a feeling of security, wanting someone who could deal with the situation.
A. I don't know, I was calling my Dad because of a feeling of security, wanting someone who could deal with the situation.
I
don't know buys time to
think. An innocent subject would rarely need to buy time.
Notice
the words calling and wanting are present tense.
The
tense of the verb is of utmost importance.
When
analyzing statements, the investigator should concentrate on the
tense of the verbs used.
A
person providing a truthful statement will use the past tense as the
norm because by the time a person relates the event, it has already
occurred.
If
the investigator notes a shift in the statement from past tense to
present tense, this can be significant because events recalled from
memory should be stated in the past tense. The change to present
tense may indicate deception."
If
the person provides extraneous information in a statement, it can
provide clues to possible deception, since a person who is being
truthful will have nothing to hide when asked the questions.
The
truthful person can recount the events as they occurred because the
truth is easy to recall. In many cases, a deceptive person might
provide information that does not answer the question, this is
extraneous information and they may feel the need to justify their
actions.
The
information they provide may not follow a logical timeline or will
provide false information as to what actually happened.
They
may include more information than is necessary to tell the story. In
an extended sentence, people may include qualifying words or
statements which may provide important information.
From
McLish
When
the subject uses words such as "because" "cause"
"so" "since" etc. he is explaining why something
happened. In an open statement, the subject should only report what
happened. Giving reasons why something happened is considered out of
bounds. Consider this information as sensitive and important.
If a person is asked a specific question, this may cause him to use the word "because." For example, "How do you know he was at the party?" "Because I saw him and talked to him at the party.
If a person is asked a specific question, this may cause him to use the word "because." For example, "How do you know he was at the party?" "Because I saw him and talked to him at the party.
The
word because is used. It is not in response to why he did not check
on Stephen therefore his answer is a red flag.
feeling
of security Unusual phrases are
a red flag. "feeling of insecurity" would have made more
sense.
The
question about Stephen is not answered.
Q.
How do you explain the 25 minutes in the house before you called the
ambulance?
A. I don't know, slow.
A. I don't know, slow.
I
don't know gives the subject more time to think. The phrase
can indicate deception. He does know.
Notice
by saying slow by itself, a pronoun has been removed.
Rather than say 'I was slow" or something similar, the subject says "slow".
This suggests the suspect is distancing himself from the remark and has a lack of commitment to the remark.
Rather than say 'I was slow" or something similar, the subject says "slow".
This suggests the suspect is distancing himself from the remark and has a lack of commitment to the remark.
The
question is not answered.
Q.
Without harping on about it Dave, can you think of any reason why you
said that your whole family had been killed to the 111 lady when
you had only seen or knew about Mum and Dad?
A.
I don’t know.
Yes
followed by a reason or No was required.
The
question is not answered.
Q.
Is one delivered?
A. Yes, it's delivered by Kieran Garbutt of 6 Mahon Street to the letterbox at home. He's usually past our gate at quarter to six.
A. Yes, it's delivered by Kieran Garbutt of 6 Mahon Street to the letterbox at home. He's usually past our gate at quarter to six.
A
better answer would be a simple yes.
When
a subject gives unsolicited details its a red flag.
He goes to the extraordinary length of giving the person's name and address.
He goes to the extraordinary length of giving the person's name and address.
The
word usually means something often happens.
The subject is not saying the paper was delivered at a quarter to six Monday morning.
The subject is not saying the paper was delivered at a quarter to six Monday morning.
Mclish
The
words "usually" "generally" "sometimes"
and the phrase "most of the time" may be used to convey an
act that occurs from time to time.
However,
the subject is not telling you that something did indeed happen.
Q.
Did you take the paper inside on Monday from the letterbox?
A. No, I didn't. I haven't thought about it until now. I normally would take it in but sometimes, if I walk my run , Dad may get it at 7 a.m.
A. No, I didn't. I haven't thought about it until now. I normally would take it in but sometimes, if I walk my run , Dad may get it at 7 a.m.
A
better answer would be No, I didn't. Extra information is another red
flag.
I
haven't thought about it until now.
Why
does he say this? This is irrelevant to the question. He is buying
time to answer the question.
Mclish
The
word "if" indicates the subject is talking about a
hypothetical situation.
This
is also supported by the use of the word sometimes.
He
is not saying I walked my run.
The
logical conclusion is that if Robin took the paper then David walked
his run. This could help his alibi.
However,
he does not say he walked his run.
Conclusion
The
use of extraneous information and present tense indicates likely
deception.
'I
don't know" is used to buy time.
The
subject avoided answering some questions.
