THE JURY has retired to considered its verdicts in the murder trial of Barton man Lewis Brown.
The 20-year-old is accused of murdering Lee Butler, 39, in a park off Bayswater Road on October 8 last year.
Prosecutors say Mr Butler was fatally stabbed by his dealer, Brown, in a dispute over the quality of drugs the defendant’s ‘Bob’ line was selling.
Brown, however, claims he was forced to sell drugs on behalf of the line’s controller – named in court only as ‘Jake’ – and he stabbed Mr Butler in self-defence after the older man tried to rob him at knifepoint.
READ MORE: Live updates as judge sums up Barton 'murder' trial
Summing up the law to the jury at Oxford Crown Court this morning, Judge Ian Pringle QC said the jury could only convict the defendant of murder if the prosecution had made them sure of three things.
First, that the defendant assaulted Lee Butler with a knife on October 8. Secondly, that Brown was not acting in lawful self-defence of himself. And, finally, that at the time of the assault the defendant either intended to kill Mr Butler or cause him ‘some really serious bodily harm’.
The judge explained that Brown would be not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter if the jury were sure that he committed an unlawful act which ‘all sober or reasonable people’ would have realised put the victim at risk of ‘some harm’ - but did not intend to kill him or cause really serious harm.
Brown’s defence to the allegation of possession of a bladed article in a public place on the day of the stabbing is that he was a ‘modern slave’ – ordered by mystery man ‘Jake’ to carry it. The fact ‘Jake’ had been told earlier in the day that Mr Butler planned to rob Brown amounted to a ‘reasonable excuse’ to have the knife, the defence contend. Both claims are contested by the prosecution.
The jury retired to consider their verdicts at 1.03pm after hearing a summary of the evidence in the case from Judge Pringle.
Sending them away to their retirement room, the judge told them they were under no pressure of time to reach verdicts.
The trial continues.
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