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you don't feel sure, if you have a doubt it means that
you do not feel sure, then you will say the Crown has
not satisfied you.
10
Now I think it is fair to know precisely what the
accused said in his statement, and so we will turn to the
Defence. Incidentally, let me tell you that the accused's
statement was put in by the Crown as part of its case, so
it is evidence for the Crown, but the accused made himself
a witness in this case, as he is entitled to do, and he
puts himself before you, so you can see him, hear him and
understand him and assess him. And you will look at him
as you look at any other witness, decide whether you
believe him, or if you don't, what you believe, what you
don't believe just as you do for any other witness and
because he is the accused, doesn't mean that his evidence
is a lie. Incidentally, Members of the Jury, his statement 15
and his evidence, there is hardly any conflict between them,
There have been additions, and explanations, but there is
no real difference between what he told the police
originally and what he told you in this court. No real
basic difference, little slight changes, but no real big
difference, so that fact in itself you might consider as
indication, the fact that he has been so consistent, the
fact that he gave the statement to the police when he
must have been under stress, at a time perhaps when he would
want to justify himself and the fact that when he gave his 25
evidence today, after weeks of waiting, and thinking and
planning, he hasn't varied it, you might consider that
his evidence is evidence to be believed. So you don't
discard his evidence because he is an accused person. I think I will read the statement to you.
an
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