Private Shane Coulthrust will answer to nine of the 11 charges against him.
This was the advice of Judge Advocate Lieutenant Commander Rita Evans when the Ordinary Court Martial continued on Friday in the Hodgson Hall Conference Centre, St Ann’s Fort.
And it was accepted by President of the Court Martial, Lt Cdr Fernella Cordle, who called on the defence to present their case.
The defence maintained that there was a significant lack of empirical evidence to convict the accused.
In his unsworn statement, Coulthrust told the court that he ventured an additional 4 to 5 miles out-to-sea to conduct routine training with the junior seamen onboard.
He said he followed all briefings and customary practices of the Barbados Coast Guard, which also included not carrying a personal cellphone to sea and the crew on the duty vessel must have confused the GPS device with a cellphone.
Counsels will deliver closing arguments on Tuesday. (PR/SAT)
