Judge advises Shineka Gray murder trial jury on text message evidence

The presiding judge in the trial of Gregory Roberts, the defendant in the 2017 murder of 15-year-old schoolgirl Shineka Gray, today urged the jury to consider every piece of evidence during their deliberations for a verdict, including anything he may have omitted in his summation.

High Court Judge Justice Bertram Morrison gave the admonition while continuing his instructions to the jury regarding how they must view expert testimony on various text messages attributed to Roberts which were presented into evidence during the trial.

“Expert evidence is presented in a criminal trial to provide you with scientific information and opinion which is related to the witness' expertise, which is likely to be outside of your experience. It is by no means unusual for evidence of this nature to be called,” Morrison told the jury.

“You should bear in mind that, having given the matter careful consideration, you do not have to accept the evidence of the expert; you do not have to rely upon it. Indeed, I say that you do not have to accept everything that the expert has said,” Morrison continued.

“You should remember that this evidence is only part of the case and that whilst it may be of assistance to you in reaching a verdict, you should reach your verdict having considered all of the evidence…if I fail to mention a point which you think is important, you must use it in your deliberations when arriving at a verdict.”

The judge also went in-depth in analysing the specific text messages which were attributed to Roberts and presented by communication analyst witnesses for the prosecution, particularly those stated to be of an antagonistic nature toward his ex-girlfriend and her mother.

“If you are satisfied that the expert did not alter or hide any of the messages and that what he said was the truth, then you can act on it,” said Morrison.

The judge's summation continues later this afternoon.

- Christopher Thomas

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