Jeremy Hall murder trial continues

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On day two of Jeremy Hall’s second degree murder trial, the defence took aim at the prosecution’s allegation that it was Hall who used threats of violence that led to Kelvin Sawa’s death. Sawa was found hanging inside his cell at the Niagara Detention Centre, 85 minutes after fellow inmates found out he was charged with sexually assaulting a teenaged boy. The prosecution’s contention is that Jeremy Hall punched and kneed the victim, Kelvin Sawa after word got out in their unit at the Niagara Detention about the charges against Sawa. Crown Attorney Andrew Brown says it was Hall who fashioned a noose out of strips of bedsheets while another inmate handed the noose to Sawa. Minutes later Sawa was found by the guards hanging, unconcious in his cell.

But defence lawyer Stephanie Diguiseppe, put to the witness Detective Brian Rogers – then a sergeant in the forensics unit – there was no DNA on the noose linked to Jeremy Hall Sergeant Rogers agreed. Stephanie Diguiseppe suggested to Detective Rogers that there was no search of the area for other ropes, and that the only cell searched for strips of torn bed sheets was the one Kelvin Sawa was in.

The crown told the jury that Jeremy Hall was in the tv common room during the time he was braiding the bedsheets into a rope – but there are no surveillance cameras in that room. Diguiseppe says there are windows, and that the inmates would never know when they’re being watched by the guards. She suggested the tv day room is like a fish bowl.

The crown attorney says Jeremy Hall gave the noose to inmate Cale Rose, and that Rose slipped it to Sawa through a cell meal slot. Cale Rose’s DNA was not found on the noose either.