Jury retires for night in Smail case

Jury members have gone home for the night after a day of deliberations in the trial of Eric Neil Smail, accused of murdering his tetraplegic friend Keith Graeme McCormick.

The jury ended its consideration of the verdict for the day at 5pm, and will return to continue at 9.45am tomorrow, which will be the 16th day of the trial before Justice Lester Chisholm in the High Court at Christchurch.

Smail, 53, denies murdering Mr McCormick in July 2005 when he killed him by cutting his throat. He admits responsibility for the death but defence counsel claims provocation led to the killing and Smail would accept a finding of manslaughter.

The jury retired to consider its verdict after Justice Chisholm's summing up, at 11.38am.

- NZPA