Murder-accused Kellan Lewis started the fight that killed Kellon Hill and was there "there til the end", a prosecutor said urging the jury to find him guilty.

In his closing speech yesterday morning, Mr. McColm said of the numerous young prosecution witnesses: "These young people had to come to court and give evidence. Probably the first time many of them have been in court.

"I regard myself as a skilful lawyer. I know how to ask questions to get the answers that I want. Witnesses aren't skilled. They are school kids.

"What I am suggesting is don't be critical of them. Take that into account that they are young persons giving evidence."

Lewis denies murdering Mr. Hill and possession of a knife.

Five teenagers, Kevin Warner, 19, Zharrin Simmons, 17, Gary Hollis, 16, Devon Hairston, 18, and Lewis, 17, were originally on trial at Supreme Court accused of murdering 18-year-old Kellon Hill as he left a beach party last August 9.

They denied that charge plus individual charges of weapons possession. Mr. Hollis and Mr. Hairston were alleged to have wielded helmets against Mr. Hill, Miss Simmons a screwdriver, Mr. Warner a walking cane and Lewis a knife.

All but Lewis were cleared of the charges by Judge Charles-Etta Simmons at the close of the prosecution case on the basis that they had no case to answer based on the evidence.

Mr. McColm told the court Mr. Hill was killed with a knife.

"The fatal wound went through the ribs into the heart cause by a knife. A knife. Not a screwdriver, not a pointed object a round object, something with a knife blade. The injury wasn't caused by a screwdriver. It was caused by a knife.

"There's evidence that Kellan Lewis had a knife in his possession that night and was seen to use it. He was seen with a knife. No one describes Zharrin having a knife to constitute murder."

The prosecutor said his case was that Lewis intended to cause harm to someone that night by his actions and his words.

Mr. McColm then spoke about the fight itself where Lewis admitted calling Mr Hill's cousin, Diondea Symons, a 'sissy' and then punched Mr. Hill when he called him a sissy in return.

Lewis said he left the scene of the fight to find his chain that fell to the ground when Mr. Hill grabbed him.

"If you reject what Mr. Lewis said, it doesn't mean you find him guilty. The prosecution's case is that Kellan Lewis with Gary Hollis behind him approached Kellon Hill with Diondea on the back on the bike.

"He was there from the start and he was there til the end. The prosecution says Mr. Lewis was one of those persons hitting Kellon Hill over the head with helmets. And that was the time I suggest the fatal wound was done at the time of the fight.

"A number of people saw Kellan Lewis in the fight. You don't start a fight and then run away from it the way he described."

Lewis' lawyer John Perry QC also addressed the jury and said what happened to Mr. Hill was a "tragedy".

'It is a tragedy for Kellon Hill, a young man who has lost his life. It is a tragedy for his family who has lost a son, a brother, a grandson, a cousin. We wouldn't be human if we didn't feel their pain. There's a natural desire for the sympathy.

"There's also another tragedy. It is also a tragedy for Mr. Lewis facing the greatest of charges in the criminal calendar. It is tragic for their family to see their son charged and tried waiting for a verdict.

"You shouldn't convict Mr. Lewis because he's the last person sitting in the dock. You're not here to mete out vengeance."

Mr. Perry told the jury to only find his client guilty if they were sure beyond reasonable doubt.

"Even if you don't believe a word that came of Mr. Lewis' mouth you must go back to the totality of the prosecution case which clearly shows that Miss Simmons stabbed or at the very least may have stabbed him three times.

"It is not sufficient enough for you to think he's guilty or suspect he's guilty or have a gut feeling that he's guilty."

Mr. Perry said that only one witness a 15-year-old girl had described seeing Lewis with a knife on him that night.

The witness told the court she'd seen Mr. Hill with the knife before he travelled to the party on the same bus with her. She also described seeing Lewis stab the victim "a lot of times" with the same black-handled knife she'd seen earlier.

However, the girl later said that other parts of the evidence she'd given the court about seeing others attacking Mr. Hill with a crash helmet and cane had come from what she'd read in the newspapers.

"She is the only one of 17 eyewitnesses to say it was Mr. Lewis. Her evidence is unreliable and is full of hearsay.

"There is clear evidence that Zharrin stabbed Kellon Hill. There is no clear evidence that the item was a screwdriver rather than a knife. It can be inferred that what Zharrin stabbed Hill with, was in fact a knife. Add in to that Mr. Lewis' evidence of Zharrin's urgency to flee the scene."

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons is due to begin her summation this morning.