Judge drops count five in Amos manslaughter trial

One of the five manslaughter charges against 26-year-old land surveyor Mark Amos has been dropped.

However, Justice Sharon George has ruled that he has a case to answer in relation to the four other counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Justice George dropped the fifth count after legal arguments by defence lawyer Bert Samuels that the body of Merrick Bailey was not identified at the post mortem as one of the persons who died in the June 2012 accident for which Amos has been charged.

Yesterday, the Crown closed its case after calling 15 witnesses

Meanwhile, in an unsworn statement from the dock, Amos said it was the "selfishness" of Damion Daley, the driver of the motor vehicle, he was overtaking along the North Coast Highway in Trelawny which caused the crash on June 8, 2012.

He told the seven-member jury that while he was overtaking, Daley refused to allow him to complete the action. 

Amos then crashed into an oncoming vehicle resulting in the deaths of Fitzroy Hawthorne, Alecia Hosey, Marion Johnson and Roary McKenzie.

Yesterday, Amos said he was very sorry for those who were left to grieve, but maintained that he was innocent of all the charges.

The trial being held at the Hanover Circuit Court has been adjourned until Monday when Crown Counsel Sophia Thomas will address the jury.