The jury in the second-degree murder trial for Robert Belbin heard closing arguments from the Crown and defence this afternoon, as well as some good news from the judge — that they won’t have to deliberate over the long Thanksgiving Day weekend.
There were no surprises in the closing submissions made by both defence lawyer Jason Edwards and Crown counsel Paul Thistle.
Seamus Secord (Submitted)
The latter sticking to his assertion that an angry Belbin stabbed best friend Seamus Secord nine times for accusing him of stealing his drugs, and more importantly — to make out the murder charge — meant to kill him.
Edwards, conceding both had criminal records, insists Belbin acted in self-defence after Secord, who had stabbed another man on George Street weeks earlier, came at him.
There’s no dispute that Belbin did the stabbing; the question now remains whether he intended to kill his friend or, as Belbin has testified, just fight for his own life.
It also opens the door for a potential manslaughter conviction instead, where a homicide occurs without intent to kill.
Meanwhile, while the jury had been told to expect a sequestered weekend, Justice Trina Simms has given them a stay of deliberations, if you will, so they won’t begin that work until Tuesday afternoon.
