Ewen MacDonald - evidence still lacking.

The jury got to hear a large part of the video taped interview of  Ewen MacDonald today, some 3 hours gone and one or so more hours to be heard tomorrow. But no confession of any sort to this point, and if there is one in remaining tape, we would have heard about it in the opening address.

In that opening address the Crown highlighted the much earlier acts of vandalism, the burning of a house under transport, poaching that MacDonald has since admitted. He denied those acts in his interview but has since admitted them. I commented earlier that there must have been evidence found against MacDonald for those acts from some accomplice or acquaintance. I offered that person might be selling some admission regarding the murder he or she could have claimed MacDonald made, but that doesn't appear to be the case now. The jury are not sitting on a vandalism or arson trial, rather one of murder - yet evidence of MacDonald's guilt  remains lacking.

One witness today spoke of the efforts of MacDonald on the farm as driving the profit. Another reason that Ewen would have appreciated, that not only was he a shareholder of the farm, but also a capable farmer able to return a profit. Someone able to rely on his skill and hard work for the benefit of himself and family not only on the Guy farm, but on any other farm to which they might consider to move.

Bryan Guy gave evidence which included how after the murder Ewen's salary was increased. Bryan Guy, is of course, Ewen's father in law, the grandfather of the young man's four children. It was Bryan whose shotgun was said to have been potentially used in the killing, a man who had lost his son, who lived on the same farming enterprise. Obviously nothing appeared to Bryan which might have been of concern about Ewen's alleged involvement in the murder.

Today appeared to be the day to 'mark' the forward movement of the case against MacDonald, but we still haven't seen it. We've looked fairly deeply into the lives of this family, seen the common things in any family such as of rivalry, but we haven't seen any admission from Ewen, we've haven't seen a shotgun in his hand, nothing to explain, or evidence to show that he hadn't risen at his normal time, come out to meet his workmate and looked liked he just woken - despite the Crown's unproven assertions.