GUILTY - Wayne Millard Murder Trial - Dellen Millard Charged With Murder - #4

[Jasper52]

Court is now back in session. Cameron is responding to Pillay's closing for the Crown.
by Adam Carter 3:56 PM

Pillay says Dellen Millard was fully asked if he stayed at Smich's home on the night in question, and Millard said yes, which is a "demonstrable lie."
by Adam Carter 3:57 PM

Cameron is also talking about Marlena Meneses. She says she didn't put some of the evidence about guns before her because it would have been "discreditable conduct."
by Adam Carter 4:00 PM

Pillay previously said Meneses messed up the days that Millard stayed at Smich's home, as she thought it was on a weekend, when really, the the 28th/29th was during the week. Cameron says Meneses had very little structure in her life at this point. "Every day would have been like a weekend to her ... with the greatest of respect," she says.
by Adam Carter 4:03 PM

 

[deugirtni]

Millard lawyer Pillay says there was no financial motive for Dellen to kill his father.
Judge: He would be the heir to the estate.
Pillay: The heir to what?

Heir to what, says the man petitioning the courts to release monies so he can pay his millions of dollars worth of legal fees.

 

[JoS13]

"To prove guilty for murder, the Crown must disprove suicide ... the Crown has not," Pillay says. "Sometimes the simplest decision is the correct one."
by Adam Carter 3:41 PM

Arg I hate to say it but this is really the crux of it and I can't say that I disagree with RP here .

Thinking about it, though, in the absence of analysis and testing of the body and evidence at the scene (which was not done due to it being deemed a suicide right away) I'm finding it hard to think of ways in which it would be possible for the Crown to categorically disprove suicide. I'm having trouble sorting it out in my head, but to me it seems like the Crown's case has been more along the lines of presenting an alternate theory (with evidence to back it up) that seems to make way more sense than suicide. But can that work (be sufficient) even if they aren't able to show (even if it's because the evidence does not exist) beyond a reasonable doubt that a suicide did not occur?

 

[MistyWaters]

Man, I hope the Crown gets it together.. btw, how does the Crown get to 'reply' to RP's closing summary? I thought that if the accused put forth no defence, it allowed the accused to have the last word?

Yes the Crown can have the last word. Closing statements are neither evidence nor a defence. It’s similar to a persuasive story being told by each side to either summarize or discount the evidence.

 

[Jasper52]

Cameron now talking about the time of death. She's jumping around here a little, as she's refuting Pillay's closing. "There's nothing in the evidence that negates our timeframe. Everything supports our timeframe," Cameron says.
by Adam Carter 4:05 PM

Pillay had previously said the Crown hasn't proven that Millard bought the gun from Ward Jackson. Cameron calls it a "remarkable coincidence" then that Millard and Ward Jackson were discussing a ".32 long" in text messages when this gun has .32 long stamped on it.
by Adam Carter 4:06 PM

Cameron also says the photos on Wayne Millard's dresser were "very old" and not up to date for the important people in his life.
by Adam Carter 4:07 PM

Cameron also says Pillay's assertion that the business couldn't be viable was "profoundly wrong." She says the business could now finally be viable, thanks to getting certification from Transport Canada.
by Adam Carter 4:09 PM

 

[dar107]

Sorry to jump in here, but can anyone recall if there was ever any evidence of any life insurance policys for Wayne?

 

[Sillybilly]

Where the heck is the judge's interruption on *this* one by RP??? Yet she interrupted the Crown to say she had no financial evidence??
Jun 25 2018 3:30 PM
Pillay says Wayne Millard was "in serious financial trouble and looking for a way out."

Defence has a lot more leeway and does not have to prove what they claim. OTOH, the Crown has to prove everything they claim.

 

[MistyWaters]

Arg I hate to say it but this is really the crux of it and I can't say that I disagree with RP here .

Thinking about it, though, in the absence of analysis and testing of the body and evidence at the scene (which was not done due to it being deemed a suicide right away) I'm finding it hard to think of ways in which it would be possible for the Crown to categorically disprove suicide. I'm having trouble sorting it out in my head, but to me it seems like the Crown's case has been more along the lines of presenting an alternate theory (with evidence to back it up) that seems to make way more sense than suicide. But can that work (be sufficient) even if they aren't able to show (even if it's because the evidence does not exist) beyond a reasonable doubt that a suicide did not occur?

To me, this is the most fascinating question of this case as well. How will the Judge approach the verdict?

If the Judge views it as - if the Crown proved DM guilty of murder, then WM can’t have died by suicide.

Or

If she sees reasonable doubt in WM having died by suicide, then obviously there is clear doubt that DM is guilty of his murder.

 

[Jasper52]

And that's it for the Crown. We're just about finished, here.
by Adam Carter 4:13 PM

 

[MistyWaters]

Sorry to jump in here, but can anyone recall if there was ever any evidence of any life insurance policys for Wayne?

No, not that I recall. For a man of his age and with potential health issues as well, often the only insurance policies available pertain to accidental death only.

 

[ab-initio]

I have to admit that NOW I am getting it as to why, a longgg time ago, ABro stated that RP was a good lawyer. He's doing a fine darned job today, much finer than the Crown, I am so so sorry to say. DM's walking on this one. moo.

He is a very effective lawyer.

I'm still holding out for the Crown's rebuttal. Fingers crossed.

 

[Monger]

Someone earlier said they hoped that the decision wouldn't be in September. Whoever that was....slap your tongue!!! You jinxed it!

 

[Jasper52]

The judge says she is leaving July 19 open to give her decision on the case, but also says it's "not likely" a decision will come then as she has other trials. It's more likely that she doesn't come back with a decision until sometime in September.
by Adam Carter 4:17 PM

So that's it for this trial until a decision. I'll have an update coming later today. Thanks everyone for following along.
by Adam Carter 4:20 PM

 

[ab-initio]

Man, I hope the Crown gets it together.. btw, how does the Crown get to 'reply' to RP's closing summary? I thought that if the accused put forth no defence, it allowed the accused to have the last word?

If they put forth a defence, they close first.

 

[andreww]

Where the heck is the judge's interruption on *this* one by RP??? Yet she interrupted the Crown to say she had no financial evidence??
Jun 25 2018 3:30 PM
Pillay says Wayne Millard was "in serious financial trouble and looking for a way out."

Burdon is on the crown. They didn't prove that he was doing alright financially.

 

[Jealoushe]

Why the hell does it take so long to decide

 

[andreww]

So does anybody else think the crown put MB on the witness list simply to keep her out of the courtroom?

 

[clefk27]

If speaking in hyperbole with every statement

Why the hell does it take so long to decide

It is interesting that the judge feels that she requires 3 months to make a decision when most on this thread believe that she has already decided in DM's favour.

 

[Jealoushe]

If speaking in hyperbole with every statement

It is interesting that the judge feels that she requires 3 months to make a decision when most on this thread believe that she has already decided in DM's favour.

I was genuinely curious why it should take so long.

 

[Kamille]

So does anybody else think the crown put MB on the witness list simply to keep her out of the courtroom?

Why would it be beneficial to keep MB out of the courtroom when this is a trial by judge only and she has been in front of this judge as a witness already?

I'd think it was more because they decided half way through that she would not be of any help to the case. I don't think it's a stretch to consider that she would not have wanted to testify for the Crown but they had her available if there was any evidence they felt needed to be introduced by her.

MOO