Is Peter Beckett a grieving husband who lost his wife in a tragic accident or the mastermind of a murder plot put into motion for financial gain?
Marilyn Sandford, the defence lawyer for the former New Zealand politician charged with the 2010 murder of his wife, argued it香蕉视频直播檚 the former and the argument that Beckett planned a murder for riches simply doesn香蕉视频直播漷 make sense.
Sandford told the Kelowna jury if Beckett was motivated by money at all, he香蕉视频直播檇 be better off keeping his wife alive. As a longtime school teacher Laura Letts-Beckett made a good wage that couldn香蕉视频直播檛 be replaced by the pension she香蕉视频直播檇 leave behind which, including CPP, amounted to around $2,600 a month.
When it came to the Crown香蕉视频直播檚 allegation that an insurance payout offered incentive for Beckett to kill his wife, Sandford said that there香蕉视频直播檚 no reason to make that assumption if you view the accused under the veil of innocence.
Issues raised through the case, such as Beckett taking out an accidental death insurance policy in the months before Letts-Beckett died, Sandford said, aren香蕉视频直播檛 unusual unless you香蕉视频直播檙e operating from the premise that he is a murderer.
Besides, she said, Letts-Beckett was accustomed to carrying a signifcant life insurance policy.
Between her work benefits and a $200,000 life insurance policy attached to a loan for a large motorhome the couple shared, Laura Letts-Beckett was insured for roughly $644,000 as early as 2006.
That amount dipped for around a year when the couple switched over financing for the motorhome and the policy they took out months before the drowning brought them back up.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 the same total amount of life insurance she had in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009,香蕉视频直播� said Sandford.
香蕉视频直播淲here is the planning and deliberation? When did it start? 香蕉视频直播as Peter Beckett planning and deliberating in 2006 when he bought the motorhome? 香蕉视频直播榃ell let香蕉视频直播檚 buy that and get life insurance on that debt. Four years from now I will kill you and I will get that money.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
It doesn香蕉视频直播檛 make sense, she told jurors.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no evidence of a financial motive for claiming life insurance 香蕉视频直播� and you may have thought this is a life insurance case,香蕉视频直播� she said.
She also told jurors that in the months after Letts-Beckett香蕉视频直播檚 death, Beckett never tried to cash in on the life insurance policy that had been taken out, nor did he make any real efforts to secure any potential inheritance from his wife香蕉视频直播檚 well-off parents 香蕉视频直播� another Crown theory.
香蕉视频直播淲hat is the Crown premise? Peter Beckett believes that by killing his wife he could then sue the Letts (family) for the money that his wife would have inherited from them someday, if they predeceased her?香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚f you accept that you have to put aside all common sense about how wills work and how estates work.香蕉视频直播�
Prosecution, she said, would like you to ignore the fact that Letts-Beckett香蕉视频直播檚 parents were still alive and if he wanted to gain from their future death he could have sued them when Letts-Beckett was alive.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a tortured theory,香蕉视频直播� she said.
She also dismissed all evidence from a jail-cell informant alleged to have been asked to get rid of anything that may get in the way of Beckett香蕉视频直播檚 future freedom.
His motivation was self-serving and unreliable.
Crown counsel Iain Currie started his closing arguments toward the end of the day, and they香蕉视频直播檙e set to continue through today.
香蕉视频直播淪ometimes accidents happen in tragically unfortunate circumstances. Accidents on water happen. People drown,香蕉视频直播� said Currie.
香蕉视频直播淥f course it can happen. Make no mistake the burden to prove this accident didn香蕉视频直播檛 happen, that Laura Letts-Beckett fell from that boat, didn香蕉视频直播檛 stumble, didn香蕉视频直播檛 faint, didn香蕉视频直播檛 fall香蕉视频直播� the burden is high.香蕉视频直播�
But, he continued, you have to start somewhere when considering the case at hand and suspicion is a good place.
He argued that Beckett chose a private place for a reason.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 the first place where you can香蕉视频直播檛 be seen, the first place you can香蕉视频直播檛 be detected,香蕉视频直播� he said, adding that it香蕉视频直播檚 just suspicious and nothing more.
Building on that suspicion, he said, is the accidental death insurance. Less than two months before her death, Mr. and Mrs. Beckett applied for accidental death insurance.
香蕉视频直播淲hat香蕉视频直播檚 suspicious about accidental death policies is that it only works with an accidental death,香蕉视频直播� he said.
The previous insurance policy that Sandford pointed to was a life insurance policy not an 香蕉视频直播渁ccidental death policy.香蕉视频直播�
Currie will continue Tuesday morning.
