Jurors to deliberate soon in Riley Phillips murder trial

In Moncton, New Brunswick, jurors heard closing arguments Tuesday in the trial of Riley Phillips. Deliberations are expected to begin on Thursday.

Riley Phillips20 years old, is accused of the unpremeditated murder of Joedin Leger, 18, in Moncton, April 25, 2022.

The defense pleads self-defense and argues that the accused should be acquitted for this reason.

The Crown asserts that this cannot be the case, since in its opinion, it was the actions taken by the accused that caused the high-risk situation.

Stephen Holtthe Crown prosecutor, alleges that Joedin Leger was shot and killed in a home invasion and attempted burglary carried out by a group of six people, including Riley Phillips.

It was Joedin Leger who defended himself, at homeproclaimed the prosecutor.

The defense lawyer, Brian Munrosays that the way the Crown portrays the situation is not convincing.

There were no signs of a break-in at the home where the shots were exchanged. Surveillance video recorded gunshots, but no noise suggesting, for example, that a door was being forced open.

In his testimony last week, Riley Phillips maintained that Joedin Leger had shot him first.

On Wednesday, the judge was to give his instructions to the members of the jury before their deliberations. But lawyers discussed those instructions for most of the morning. The judge Robert Dysart is expected to instruct jurors Thursday morning.

The trial ends with 12 jurors rather than 13, one of them having been excluded for reasons not related to the case, according to what the judge indicated on Tuesday.

According to the report of Shane Magee, CBC and information from Pascal Raiche-Nogue