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Road death jury offered three options

verdicts in the case of a lawyer whose car struck and killed a man.On Monday the jury is expected to decide the fate of 37-year-old Appleby,

verdicts in the case of a lawyer whose car struck and killed a man.

On Monday the jury is expected to decide the fate of 37-year-old Appleby, Spurling and Kempe lawyer Allan (Shaun) Morris who is charged with causing the death of another man through dangerous driving.

Morris, of Vermont Valley View, Smith's, has pleaded not guilty to causing Marvin Bean's death on May 28, 1995 on Palmetto Road in Devonshire.

During yesterday's closing argument Morris's lawyer Delroy Duncan told jurors they had three options open to them.

They could decide the collision was an accident since the law states a person is not criminally responsible for an accident.

They could determine the accident was the result of careless driving, Mr.

Duncan said, which would render Morris at fault since he was not driving at the normal standards. Or they could decide the accident was the result of dangerous driving, he added.

Mr. Duncan maintained the incident was an accident and not a case of dangerous driving since none of the "normal ingredients'' of dangerous driving were present, like speeding or alcohol.

He said his client did not testify during the trial because he had nothing to say.

"The person who saw Mr. Bean was Mrs. Morris, who took the stand,'' he added.

But Solicitor General Barry Meade questioned Mrs. Morris's recollection of the events.

"Did she really remember that night correctly?'' he asked.

And Mr. Meade claimed the Police theory of the accident -- that Mr. Bean was struck on a grass verge, not on the road -- was correct and that Morris should be held accountable.

"Anyone not paying attention when they are driving is dangerous,'' Mr. Meade said. "It is dangerous to drive on grass verges.'' He reminded the jury: "A man is dead and a 13-year-old girl has no father.'' Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux will sumup on Monday.