MADAM Justice Dawn Gregory yesterday accepted a defence no-case submission in favour of No.2 accused, Roger Vyphuis, at the close of the prosecution’s case in the Teacher Dolly murder trial at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, and directed the mixed jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. The No. 1 accused, Steven Andrews, who was called upon for a defence, will know his fate on Thursday. His lawyer, Miss Sonia Parag, has called four witnesses to testify on his behalf, one of whom is a preacher from the Ambassador of Christ Church. The other three are workers of the church, and they are claiming that the accused was at church at the time the murder had been committed.

They claim to recall the fact that Andrews was in church on the same evening that fire had destroyed a home in the village.
The defence witnesses are therefore supporting an alibi defence.

Attorney-at-Law Mark Waldron had taken over the defence of Roger Vyphuis from Attorney Nigel Hughes, and he worked in association with Lawyer Miss Candacie Rodney. They were able to prove that the prosecution had failed to make out a case for the accused to answer, and their submissions were upheld.

Led by Miss Renita Singh, with Miss Diana Kaulesar in association, the prosecution had set out to prove that both accused had robbed 70-year-old Dulcie Trim, called Teacher Dolly, of $13,000 on May 18, 2008; and then, while the unconscious woman had been lying in her home, they set the building on fire, using paper, methylated spirits and matches. The woman died in the flames which gutted her house.

The prosecution, led by Miss Renita Singh, and the defence for the accused, Stephen Andrews and Miss Sonia Parag, will address the jury today.

Tomorrow being a national holiday, Madam Justice   Gregory will sum up the evidence to the jury on Thursday, after which she would hand over the case to them for their consideration and verdict.