R v Lindsay

The appeal concerned the conviction of the appellant, R v Lindsay, for murder. The dispute arose from events at the appellant's home where the deceased, a man the appellant had met earlier that evening, was fatally stabbed and had his throat slit. The appellant complained about the admission of a statement attributed to him by a prosecution witness, alleged misdirections to the jury regarding the evaluation of certain witnesses whose evidence might have been affected by intoxication, drugs, mental instability, tiredness, or sympathy, and flawed directions concerning the partial defence of provocation.

The court was required to determine whether the admission of the appellant's statement to Bridgette Mildwaters was improper. It also had to consider whether the trial judge erred in their directions to the jury concerning the reliability of witnesses whose evidence could have been compromised by various factors, and whether the directions on the defence of provocation were adequate and accurate.

The court found that the admission of the statement made by the appellant to Ms. Mildwaters was not a ground for appeal. The court also concluded that the grounds relating to the directions given to the jury regarding the evaluation of witnesses and the defence of provocation were not made out. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed.