2 year ago, we told you about 24 year-old Justin Orillana, who spent 5 years on remand awaiting trial for murder because police believed he stabbed his stepfather, 38 year-old Cecil Thompson, to death. He was acquitted of murder then, and in a retrial which finished a few hours ago, he was acquitted of manslaughter. So, he's finally free after 7 years of dealing with this case.
In this month's retrial case, Crown Counsel Kileru Awich, called 8 witnesses to prove his case against Orillana. The witnesses described that on March 27, 2007, Orillana went home and asked Thompson where his belongings were, which included his tennis shoes, his clothes and other items. They were all missing, and Orillana became angry when Thompson ignored him. According to the witnesses, he returned shortly afterwards with a knife in his hand and he asked Thompson the same question once again. When Thompson ignored him yet again, Orillana allegedly stabbed him multiple times in the left side of his body and his forehead. Police found him dead inside his house.
Crown Counsel Awich also presented a caution statement to the jury which police recorded from Orillana himself. In that statement, Orillana supposedly confessed to the killing, and told police that he didn't mean for Thompson to die.
In his defence, Orillana denied under oath that he gave that caution statement to police, and he declared his innocence. He also called a witness who gave alibi testimony on his behalf. He told the jury that at the time of Thompson's stabbing death, he and Orillana were in Hattieville.
After deliberation, the jury reached a majority, 7-2, verdict of not guilty, and he was acquitted. So, unlike the end of the 2012 trial, Justin Orillana walked out court, and this time, he wasn't escorted back into the custody. Instead, he was allowed to go home a free man.
|
