‘Tiger’ wasn’t just murdered, he was slaughtered’ - Tiffany R. Scatliffe-Esprit
She was yesterday May 2, 2016 making the Prosecution’s closing arguments in the murder trial, the third so far, for Marcus Lloyd, Wakeem Guishard and Mitch Christopher, all charged for murder in the death of Hodge.
Scatliffe-Esprit urged the members of the jury to keep the street version of events out of their minds when deliberating on their decision. She also told them to disregard what they read in the news.
She told them to be careful with inferences and to use their common sense in the case to determine the facts.
The Prosecutor pointed out that no evidence is there to show that the men were forced to do what they did, nor show that they were under duress.
Terrence Abdullah Charles a direct witness
She told the members of the jury that star witness in the case Terrence Abdullah Charles was a direct witness because he was there. “He was part of the plan,” she said, adding that while he was no angel he was believable as other witnesses corroborated his account of things.
Charles had been earlier tried and convicted of the murder and is serving time at Her Majesty’s Prison.
Scatliffe-Esprit turned her focus on the state in which the body of Hodge was found, saying that it had 17 bullet holes in various parts of the body, mostly the head. She pointed out that the cause of death was a wound to the head caused by a gunshot. “There were teeth all over the room,” she said, adding that military weapons- AK-47 assault rifle and a Glock handgun- were used to carry out the heinous crime.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, ‘Tiger’ wasn’t [just] murdered, he was slaughtered,” she said to the jury.
She noted that they went prepared for the eventuality of Hodge coming home and dealing with that eventuality, hence the guns. She called the AK-47 Lloyd’s weapon of choice.
Charles an 'unreliable' witness
In defending his client Marcus Lloyd, Attorney at Law Patrick Thompson said that there is no evidence to support all that is being said about his client except that which came from Charles.
“Has Charles ever described those guns to you?” he asked, adding that when Charles had been interviewed by Police during the investigations he never mentioned guns. “Members of the jury I ask you to carefully consider what Charles has said...because he is an accomplice...he may have a reason to tell untruths,” said Thompson in his closing arguments to the jury.
Charles 'duped' the justice system
In his final appeal to the members of the jury, Attorney at Law Jamal S. Smith on behalf of his client Wakeem Guishard said that Charles is a “smart guy” who duped the justice system and was able to get a reduced sentence as a result.
According to Smith, no evidence other than the testimony of Charles places Guishard at Hodge’s house.
Closing arguments should continue this morning May 3, 2016 with Attorney at Law Valerie Stephens-Gordon speaking to the jury on behalf of Mitch Christopher.