Attorney Dr. Linton Lewis says he was extremely shocked by the verdict delivered on Wednesday in the murder trial of his client Mitchel ‘Mitch’ Israel, a former civil servant.
A 12-member Jury found Israel guilty of murdering his wife Arianna Taylor-Israel, a Cuban national who was employed here as a nurse.
“The evidence was clear that ‘Mitch’ should have been acquitted. The two eyewitnesses brought by the Crown gave vastly conflicting evidence while the evidence of Fidel Akers Taylor, (one of the eyewitnesses) supported the evidence of ‘Mitch’. He, Akers, clearly said the lady grabbed the gun. There was pulling and tugging, and it (gun) went off three times,” Dr. Lewis said on Thursday.
“People are going on rumours that ‘Mitch’ went on the compound, pulled out his gun, and shot his wife. That never happened. The only person who said that was Mohammed Dowers, and he told the Court he was groomed,” Dr. Lewis continued.
“The crown’s evidence in this case was contradictory and supported Mitchel Israel’s evidence. The gun in this case was missing for two years. Nobody gave evidence as to where it was. I hope that he (Israel) would eventually be acquitted, on appeal,” the attorney said.
However, Dr. Lewis did not say whether Israel would be appealing, but he feels that “Most likely he would.”
At the trial, Dr. Lewis sought to establish a case of accident, but the Jury rejected that version.
Source : The Vincentian