Source : Perth Now news
The murder trial of Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson has abruptly ended after a judge dismissed the final witness and set a date for closing arguments and the verdict.
The judge will hear final closing arguments next Thursday (October 8) before delivering his verdict at 10am on Friday (October 9) in Ensenada in Mexico.
The decision means Callum and Jake’s parents Martin and Debra Robinson will be able to hear the verdict in person after making an emotional plea to the judge to bring it forward.
The couple had flights booked to return to Perth on October 9 but asked the judge to move the verdict forward so they could remain in Mexico for the crucial moment. He agreed.
The three men accused of murdering the brothers and their American friend Carter Rhoad were sitting just metres from the Robinsons in the courtroom on Thursday, dressed in orange jumpsuits and shackled by their ankles and to each other.
The judge had been expected to hear from the final witnesses but instead dismissed them and brought the evidence phase of the judge-only trial to an end.
The three accused — Jesus Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesus — face charges including aggravated homicide and robbery over the deaths of the three surfers in April 2024.
The prosecution alleges the men were killed during an attempted robbery, with their bodies later dumped down a well.
The court was told that the fatal gunshot wounds were caused by .45-calibre ammunition, while a 9mm handgun entered into evidence was linked to a non-fatal gunshot wound suffered by Jake.
The prosecution does not have the .45-calibre weapon that fired the fatal shots.
The evidence has included testimony from protected witnesses, forensic experts and the former girlfriend of one of the accused, who has already been sentenced to 20 years for her role in the robbery.
The Robinsons have spent more than two years waiting for the case to reach this point.
Speaking after the court hearing, Mrs Robinson said that the family were devastated but grateful for the support they had received.
“We are deeply grateful for all the support and kindness we have received since we have been here,” she said.
“To everyone back home in Australia and around the world, we feel your love and your arms around us.”
The verdict will bring to a close an extraordinary journey for the Robinson family, who travelled about 15,000km from Perth to Ensenada to sit through the trial of the men accused of killing their sons.
