May 13, 2008

Crown closes case in Sila murder trial

The crown has closed its case in the Christchurch High Court trial of Lipine Sila charged with murdering two schoolgirls and intentionally injuring or causing grievous bodily harm to eight other people in the Edgeware Road party tragedy.

The case concluded this afternoon after 14 days of evidence and submissions.

The trial before Justice John Fogarty and the jury adjourned to Thursday morning when the defence will have the option to open its case. The trial is not sitting on Wednesday.

Sila, a 23-year-old factory hand, denies all the charges relating to an incident on May 5, 2007, when the crown says he drove a car through a crowd of partygoers in the roadway and struck 28 of them.

The defence has maintained he drove off in a blind panic after he was assaulted and the car was attacked by people at the huge gathering.