By Latrishka Thomas
With the Kelly Friday murder trial nearing its conclusion, the crucial decision of guilt or innocence lies just ahead. Within the day, jurors will retire to consider whether Kelly Friday is guilty of murder.
As the murder trial reached its climax yesterday, both the defence and prosecution delivered impassioned closing arguments, each aiming to sway the jurors in their favour.
Friday stands accused of murdering his uncle, Selwyn Mannix, on September 11, 2021, at Point Wharf after being beaten with a wattle stick over $50.00 that he owed the deceased.
The trial, under the guidance of Justice Tunde Bakre, has been a battleground between the Crown, represented by Paulio Williams, and the defence, led by Wendel Alexander and Wayne Benjamin Marsh.
The prosecution’s narrative hinges on the assertion that Friday, 29, stabbed his uncle six times in various areas of his body, including the chest, abdomen, back, thigh, and hand, even when Mannix was defenceless on the ground.
In their closing argument, they argued that Friday’s actions were unjustified, especially given the availability of other wattle sticks at the wharf.
Williams referenced Friday’s unsworn statement, where he mentioned that his mother had never beaten him.
He implied that this may have fuelled Friday’s anger towards his uncle, suggesting a possible motive for the attack. They also questioned the logic of Friday’s self-defence claim, highlighting the fact that Mannix was stabbed in the back.
Defence Attorney Wendel Alexander vehemently rejected the prosecution’s claims, arguing that Friday’s actions were driven by a survival instinct when feeling threatened.
Alexander demonstrated the potential severity of wattle stick blows, beating it against a court table.
Moreover, emphasising that only one of Mannix’s six wounds appeared to be serious, he drew a parallel to rapper 50 Cent’s survival after being shot nine times.
The defence further challenged the prosecution’s case by pointing out the absence of an autopsy on Mannix.
Alexander argued that without an autopsy, it was impossible to definitively determine the cause of Mannix’s death.
He highlighted Pathologist Dr Lester Simon’s inability to assess the depth of the wounds due to the body being Covid-19 positive, emphasising that visual assessments alone could not establish the cause of death.
The judge will summarise the case before the jury retires to deliberate today.
The jury’s decision rests on whether they believe Friday acted in self-defence or if he was provoked, which would lead to his acquittal or a verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.