The evidentiary phase of the Lagoon Park murder trial ended yesterday with the end of a tough cross-examination of accused stabber Robert Blair Tucker.

This morning lawyer Ed Bailey will begin his summation on the case against his client, Terranz (Monster) Smith. The closure of the evidentiary phase comes after just 41 days of testimony in a case that began on November 10.

Tucker ended his testimony with one final declaration that ?I had nothing to do with the murder of Sean Russells? at the end of two-and-a-half days on the stand.

Tucker, Smith and James (Spook) Dill deny killing American Stanley Lee (also known as Sean Russells or Sha) in an isolated part of the unkempt park on Ireland Island South on July 28, 2001.

Tucker toyed with Mr. Wolffe throughout the morning, saying ?it?s in my statement? and ?yes, I did say that? to various allegations by the prosecutor ? pulled from his statements made between August 9 to 15 in 2001.

In taking the ?flippant? risk of agreeing with Mr. Wolffe that a murder weapon was taken from a butcher?s block from his kitchen, Tucker continually asserted that this could have not been true ? despite his statements ? because he had broken a knife from that set on July 27, 2001.

Ultimately, Tucker maintained that his statements were ?not true? and was steadfast in saying he had nothing to do with Mr. Lee?s murder.

Tucker was equally adamant that could not have been in Lagoon Park between 2 and 4 p.m. on the afternoon of July 28, 2001 and his statements to the contrary were absolutely false.

Saying that the evidence of Dill, Boaz Island gas station cashier Louwaine Woolrige, friend Nathan Darrell and Pembroke guest house owner Roslyn Anderson all conflicted, Tucker said he could not be at three places at one time.

?I?m saying to you that in August, 2001, your conscience was being pricked and there was a time that you did tell the truth of what happened on or about 28 July, 2001 and I also put it to you that to your credit it was the truth and you have now spun a web of lies in court,? Mr. Wolffe asked.

Tucker replied: ?Look! (Det. Sgt.) Jerome Laws asked me what time I was in Somerset. I told him 2.15 and he said ?are you sure??. Nathan Darrell, in his statement said he saw me, Spook, and Sean Russells on South Shore around 2.30 or 3 p.m.

?And Mr. Bailey asked him what time he saw us and he said 2.30, something to three (p.m.) He asked him again, saying ?was it 4 (p.m.) or 3.30?.

?Mr. Darrell said maybe ten to 4 p.m., and then you?ve got Mrs. Anderson calling me after her Police interview with P.c. Picard and she says in her statement that ?Blair Tucker came to see me between 2 and 3 p.m.?. Come on Mr. Wolffe! How can I be in three different places at the same time?? Tucker concluded. ?Remember now, she said on the stand that if she said it then, then it must be true.?

Tucker denied Mr. Wolffe?s suggestion that his testimony that his cousin Ralph Richardson moved the body deeper into Lagoon Park was ?a complete and utter lie?.

Mr. Wolffe continued: ?I put it to you that your evidence on the stand yesterday that it was Sean Russells who attacked Neiko in Ft. Dix (US) Federal prison was a sorry attempt by you to deflect, that?s what your attempting now.?

Later, Mr. Wolffe barrelled on: ?I put it to you Mr. Tucker that you cowardly stabbed Sean Russells in his back when he was not paying attention.

?And you did this in Lagoon Park, where you, Terranz Smith and James Dill lured him over some bad drugs. Isn?t that the truth??

?I?m asking you what knife? The knife from the butcher block? That was broken before the 28th,? Tucker replied. ?I mean that is your case, right? You?re the prosecutor, Mr. Wolffe. You?re saying a 14 inch knife, that?s a machete. Yeah, sure! But it ain?t the knife from the butcher block.?

?I put it to you that you and James Dill went to Lagoon Park and that you left one part of Lagoon Park to find a spot where you could kill Sean Russells,? Mr. Wolffe continued.

Tucker replied: ?I said that in my statement.?

?And I put it to you that it did happen!? the prosecutor said leaning forward over a podium, his voice rising.

?No, Mr... What?s your name? Wolffe? Yeah, right!,? Tucker replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ?No, Mr. Wolffe I did not.?

The Lagoon Park murder trial began with a marathon session of three weeks of legal arguments, was punctuated by several more days of arguments and a two-week break for the Christmas period.

With the closure of Tucker?s case, Acting Chief Justice Norma Wade Miller told the jury: ?It seems to me that by Friday we?ll be hearing the Crown (in their submissions) and then we can move on into next week.?

With a smile and a nod at the jury foreman, Mrs. Justice Wade Miller concluded: ?We?re nearly there. Mr. Bailey? Tomorrow morning at 9.30.?