Senior Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs will sum up the Douglas Pratt murder trial this morning at 10 after more than two weeks of testimony.

It is expected that the jury will be sent into deliberation just after.

Pratt is on trial for the November 22, 2010 murder of Shande Cartwright, the mother of his two children.

Both the prosecution and the defense made their closing submissions to jurors yesterday.

Calling it a crime of passion, lead prosecutor Sandra Dee Gardiner pointed out to jurors that they need only use their common sense.

She said the fact that Cartwright’s body had 17 stab wounds including a slice to her neck shows there was something deeper behind it.

She said quite bluntly she believes Pratt killed Cartwright because she refused to get back in a relationship with him.
During the prosecution’s summation, Cartwright’s mother left the courtroom, visibly overcome with grief.

Mrs. Gardiner continued on, pointing out that if one were to follow the defendant’s story that he and Cartwright were robbed and that one of the robbers stabbed her before he got into a scuffle with him, then perhaps there would be signs.

She said, if there was indeed a struggle, the sheet that lay in the sand so perfectly would have had some kind of rumple to it.

Pratt told police that one robber had a knife, while the other had a gun, but the prosecutor again questioned why no shots were ever fired.

The prosecutor in closing asked the jury to return a verdict that is right.

Meantime, defense attorney Murrio Ducille sought to persuade the jury that his client is innocent.

In his 90-minute closing submissions, Mr. Ducille told the court the matter is a serious one, as Pratt’s freedom is now in their hands.

The attorney openly accused the prosecution of painting the picture that his client made up the entire story of him and Cartwright being robbed on Adelaide Beach, resulting in her being stabbed to death.

In fact, Mr. Ducille said the entire case has been contrived.

He said when jurors look at the evidence presented in the trial, they must do so with scrutiny.

He further reminded jurors that when they make their decision, if they are not sure, then they cannot convict Pratt.

He added that at the end of the day they can only return one verdict.

The case resumes today.