Justice Dawn Gregory has overruled the no-case submissions that were made by defence counsel in the trial of Mortimer Melville and Jevon Ismond who are accused of killing a former presidential guard during a robbery.
Justice Gregory ruled yesterday on the submissions, which in essence had stated that the prosecution did not have a case against the accused.
Justice Gregory then asked Ismond and Melville to lead their defences.
Melville gave an unsworn statement to the court, while Ismond gave a sworn statement. Both men denied that they knew about the crime and told the court that they are innocent.
In today’s session, state prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Renita Singh will make their closing address to the jury followed by defence attorneys Hookumchand and Compton Richardson.
After this, Justice Gregory will sum up the evidence in the trial before handing the matter over to the jury for deliberation.
Melville, a bus conductor of 93 Prince William Street, Plaisance, and of Hadfield Street, Werk-en-Rust, and Ismond, are accused of killing Nasir Alli on August 21, 2007, during a robbery at Better Hope, East Coast.