Trial adjourned as defendant won’t work with lawyer

(CNS): The chief justice has issued a warning to a man charged in relation to an armed jewel heist that he would face trial unrepresented if he had any more issues with attorneys. The trial of Julio Newball was adjourned on Tuesday morning before the case started, after his lead defence lawyer, Ben Tonner, made an application to come off record as a result he said of a failure by the defendant to supply sufficient instructions to the legal team in order for them to fully represent him. Newball is facing various charges relating to a daylight robbery that took place in George Town in December and the court heard he had already sacked one legal aid lawyer and had now run into difficulties with his second.

Chief Justice Anthony Smellie who was scheduled to hear the case against the George Town man without a jury warned the defendant that he would have one last chance to work with a lawyer and mount a defence as he adjourned the case and ordered a new attorney be found for the suspect.

“You seem to be deliberately not co-operating with your attorneys to stall the trial by refusing to give instructions,” the chief justice noted. “That is the concern I have.”

Newball denied this was the case and accused his attorneys of telling him to do things that he did not want to do as he was innocent of all charges.  When pressed by the CJ about the difficulties he denied not giving proper instructions but the defendant said he was not willing to work with the lawyer as he had lost trust in him.

The CJ stated that he would not force a relationship between the defendant and the attorney but he warned him that this would be his last chance as he adjourned the trial. Newball was remanded in custody until 19 October when he will return to court to have a new trial date set.