LONDON, ONT. -- The jury is hearing closing statements at the Raymond Beaver murder trial on Tuesday.
Crown Attorney Fraser Ball started off by saying, “Melissa George and Daniel Cavanagh were partners in life and partners in killing Raymond Beaver.”
He added that because of a family feud, “Melissa George devised a swift and brutal plan of action...Daniel Cavanagh stabbed Raymond Beaver.”
Each of the accused are charged with first-degree murder. George is the niece of the victim.
Beaver, 43, died after being stabbed at his Lansdowne Avenue home in Oct. 2017.
On Tuesday afternoon both defence lawyers gave their closing addresses separately, arguing that George and Cavanagh did not intend to murder Beaver.
George’s lawyer, Don Crawford, told the jury, “No way Melissa George is guilty of anything…At no time did she ever say she was going to kill anybody.”
Then Raymond Boggs, the lawyer for Cavanagh added, “This is a story about mistakes. When mistakes do happen the law calls that manslaughter, it does not call it murder.”
Before wrapping up Boggs told the jurors that no one saw his client stab Beaver.
Justice Michael McArthur is expected to complete his charge to the jury on Wednesday and then the case will be in the hands of the jurors.
