A man accused of shooting his friend over a $175 debt is on trial for the killing for the second time, after his first trial ended in a hung jury.
Javon James Dixon faces one count of murder and one count of possession of an unlicensed firearm in relation to the 1 July 2022 shooting death of Jovin Omar Fuentes.
Dixon denies the charges.
In March 2023, Dixon’s first trial for the same offences ended without the jury being able to reach a unanimous verdict of guilt or innocence on the charge of murder, or a majority verdict on a lesser charge of manslaughter.
An account ‘peppered with lies’
Although the case against Dixon is the same, the lineup is completely new. The case is before a new jury and a new judge, and is being presented by new counsel for the Crown and for Jovin’s defence.
According to prosecutor Adrian Keeling, KC, the victim had rented a green Honda Fit from Dixon’s girlfriend and ran up a bill of $175 in unpaid rental expenses – in addition to unpaid fuel bills which Jovin allegedly incurred by filling up at gas stations and driving off without paying.
“We don’t know the full extent of the dispute, but we know that during his initial police interview Dixon claimed he was innocent, and a Jamaican man who he only knew as ‘Blacks’ had shot and killed Fuentes,” said Keeling, who added that Dixon’s version of events was “was peppered with lies”.
According to Keeling, there are several family members who witnessed Dixon pull a small handgun and fire a single shot at Fuentes, 34, who succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
Pointing to what he calls holes in Dixon’s alibi, Keeling told the jury of five women and seven men that the small inaccuracies all point to “Dixon’s guilt, and not an innocent man”.
Throughout the process, Dixon has refuted the allegations, stating instead that he had picked up ‘Blacks’, whom, he says, pulled the trigger, causing him to panic and flee the scene.
The trial is expected to last for the better part of three weeks. Dixon remains in custody until its conclusion.
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