ISSN 1170-1099 Phone Kristy or Kyleigh on... professional hairworks klb 230TC031/04 870 1688 Published Tuesday and Thursday THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2004 477 Sloane Street - opposite VE Vets Circulated FREE to all households throughout Te Awamutu and surrounding districts. Extra copies 35c. BRIEFLY Brothers’ long wait for justice Have you cast By Grant Johnston your vote? Bruce and Murray Bain of Te Awamutu Waipa returning offi cer John have had only one priority in their pursuit Mills has projected a fi nal vot- of the facts about the death of their younger ing percentage of 40% for this brother, Grant at the Army’s Waiouru cadet year’s local government elec- school in 1981 - the truth. tion - down 8% on 2001. For the past 23 years they have been con- By yesterday morning votes vinced that the Army’s version of events is a had been received from 30.79% cover-up and that the court of enquiry was of eligible electors - compared unable to hand down the proper verdict. to 37.79% at the same point in They will never accept the fact that the ca- 2001. det responsible, Andrew William Read, was Te Awamutu Ward leads the charged only with causing death by care- way, not surprisingly given the lessly misusing a fi rearm. strong battle between seven They believe a damage-control exercise, in- candidates for three positions, volving the Police as well as Army, prevented with 35% of eligible electors a more appropriate charge of manslaughter having returned their voting being brought. forms. Grant Bain was 17 when he was threat- Votes must be received by ened with a loaded .223 rifl e and shot in the the returning offi cer by noon neck at the Waiouru barracks. on Saturday and provisional It was February 13, 1981 when Read (17) results should be known later threatened Grant. Grant pushed the gun that day. away and it fi red. Police charged Read with careless use of Treasures tour a fi rearm. He pleaded guilty and received a Tickets are selling well for $200 fi ne and 200 hours community service the Treasures of the Past and - served at the Army’s Waiouru golf course. Present tour on October 16 and The brothers’ father, Neil, relentlessly pur- 17. sued the truth for several years after Grant’s Busloads have booked from death, but had to give up his case for justice out of town locations, but so because it was proving too stressful for the far Te Awamutu people have boys’ mother, Valerie. been slow to buy tickets. “We basically agreed to abide by Mum’s wishes,” Murray Bain told the Courier. FRONT ROW: Bruce and Murray Bain at the grave of their mother, Valerie and brother Grant. The tour, presented by Te With two props and a hooker, together the brothers could have formed a rugby front row. Awamutu Methodist Parish, “She wanted us all to move on, remember- ing the good things about Grant’s life.” Bruce and Murray are pushing hard, 23 years after Grant’s death, to achieve justice for features 21 venues with a won- their little brother. NZ Herald photo derful range of features. In 1999 the brothers buried their mother at Historical buildings and mod- Te Awamutu Cemetery, alongside Grant. their brother’s case. When the Courier interviewed them yester- ern homes of differing architec- When they heard three-and-a-half years The civil court case was held the same day day they were heading off to Auckland to talk tural styles are complemented ago that a photo of Grant, lying dead on the as Grant’s funeral - the family were not in- with the makers of a prominent documentary by a variety of established and barracks fl oor at Waiouru, was being used in formed and could not attend, obviously, and series, who they have been dealing with for newly developed gardens. Army training they could not believe their nor could most of the witnesses to the bar- 18 months - having this week turned down Devonshire teas will be ears. racks shooting, who were also at the funeral. many major media, including Holmes. served at a number of venues. “We checked with the Army, who fl atly de- A large number of military personnel at- They say local MP Shane Ardern has been For ticket enquiries contact nied it,” Bruce Bain says. tended the funeral in Te Awamutu - although magnifi cent in his efforts on their behalf (as Colleen Cullen at 872 7857 or “But people from Te Awamutu had seen the the Bain family resisted attempts to have it was Marilyn Waring in 1981, but she basi- Betty Christopher at 871 4966. photo and they were certain it was of Grant. conducted as a military funeral. cally hit a ‘brick wall’). General enquiries to conven- We had been told in ‘81 by the Army that he “Dad told the Army, we’ve had Grant for 17 He rang yesterday to say he would be rais- or Beverley Bryant at 871 6676. had died in hospital after the shooting. We years, you had him for three weeks,” Murray ing a question in the House for Defence Min- demanded the Army tell us which version of Bain says. ister, Mark Burton. Top writers events was correct.” The brothers say their father was told by He was to ask whether the Bain case was But like virtually every detail the family Hamilton Police detective inspector Phil Ber- part of the ‘urgent enquiry’ into the cadet Prizegiving for the annual has been able to glean about Grant’s death, ryman that the charge should have been at school that had been launched, and if not children’s essay competition they had to follow a route that always ended least manslaughter, if not murder. why not? run by Kihikihi Rotary will be up with the Ombudsman. When former cadet, Ian Fraser recently If it was, Mr Ardern also wanted to ask why held this Saturday at Pekerau With the help of local MP Shane Ardern posted a report on the internet detailing then when he contacted Mr Burton two years School from 9.30am. and New Zealand First MP, Ron Marks, a abuse of cadets as young as 15 at the cadet ago to ask for the court of enquiry notes, was Prize winners were: former army offi cer, they eventually obtained school during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, it he told that the case was “an isolated one 5-6 yrs: Lauren White (St a copy of the photo from the Ombudsman. prompted other former cadets to reveal more from 21 years ago and should be left alone”. Pat’s) 1, Emily Dick (Pek) 2, It confi rmed the Army’s version of events allegations of abuse. The Bain brothers are also chasing an au- Kate Sinclair (Pek) 3. was incorrect - certainly in respect of where Bruce Bain says it also brought forward dience with Defence Minister, Mark Burton, 7-8 yrs: Victoria Wilson (Pok) Grant died. The Bain brothers were back on witnesses to their brother’s death. who has launched an enquiry into goings on 1, Elizabeth White (St Pat’s) 2, the case in earnest. “We heard from the cadet who was placed at the cadet school. Peta Graham (Pok) 3. They say they were told by Hamilton Police in charge of Grant’s body after the shooting, “It was heartening to hear Prime Minister 9-10 yrs: Phil Simms (Pir) that a large fi le on Grant’s case existed and the medic who was an ex cadet himself who Helen Clark say on television last night that 1, Mikayla Kerapa (Oparau) 2, that they would be entitled to receive a copy. attended and one of the other three cadets in she believed it was at least a case for man- Georgia Cullen (KK) 3. Later they were told that was incorrect and the room. slaughter,” Murray Bain says 11 yrs+: Deborah Worshop the fi le had been destroyed. “Some of what we have been told differs “We are determined to see this through for (Ohaupo) 1, Kyne Foley They say this was typical of the ‘road markedly from the Army’s version.” Grant.” (Ohaupo) 2, Emily Munn (TA), blocks’ they have encountered at every turn The brothers have faced a ‘media frenzy’ See ‘Who was Grant Bain’ and more details Chantelle Climo (Int) 3=. as they have tried to fi nd the truth about since the news hit the Herald on Tuesday. page 4. Super Liquor Phone 871 4009 TE AWAMUTU Get your rear into Offer concludes close John’s OPEN 7 DAYS gear from Menz of trade 11/10/04 while John’s Super Deal is Cash and Carry Only – Payment of John’s Super Deal must be stocks last PICK OF THE WEEK by cash, Eftpos or cheque, otherwise charge price applies. TRADE NOT SUPPLIED. (Be)hind sight is a GGRROOLLSSCCHH OO’’MMAARRAA’’SS IIRRIISSHH Smirnoff wonderful thing Twin Pack CCOOUUNNTTRRYY 440ml Vodka CCRREEAAMM 750ml $$ 9999 1 litre $ 95 $$ 9999 15 ALEXANDRA STREET, TE AWAMUTU PHONE 871 6307 281TC014/04 279TC013/04 88 29 1144 Upcoming Couple win Bathurst dream By Dean Taylor Shelley Patterson and Mike Hanham are huge V8 Super- OCTOBER car fans, so winning a trip to Bathurst is a dream come Features true. They might be in different camps - she’s a Ford fan, he Tues 12 . likes Holdens - but they are both looking forward to being at ‘the great race’ in the fl esh. KINDERGARTEN Last year they were enjoy- ing the race coverage at the Alpha Hotel near their home AWARENESS WEEK in Kihikihi when Ms Patter- son’s name was drawn as the winner of a trip for two to this year’s race.