Sentencing is set for Thursday, March 30, 2006.

The trial was heard in the Supreme Court before Justice John ?Troadio? Gonzalez, and began on Tuesday, January 31. A total of 10 witnesses testified during the hearing.

Oswald Twist, defence counsel for Pascascio, spent half the day on Thursday, February 2, cross-examining the police officer, Inspector Eugene Fuentes, who was in charge of forming the identification parade, trying to establish that the procedures taken were unjustifiable.

The reason that the case of the other person, who initially had been charged with Pascascio, had been rendered nolle prosequi was because his picture had been shown on local television before the day of the identification parade. It was not fair for only his client to be tried, said Twist. Twist told television reporters this afternoon that he would appeal the conviction.

The chief witness in this trial was a police officer who was off-duty at the time of the incident. Constable Ramon Cantun testified that he saw Pascascio standing in front of the building with another man, and then saw them run in the direction of Frederick Alley, which runs into Pickstock Street.

When he checked inside the shop, he saw Leal lying on the floor in a pool of blood, apparently dead. Cantun called police and secured the crime scene until they arrived.

Pascascio is said to have entered Blankie?s on Pickstock Street and shot Leal in his face. Three shots were heard by neighbors.

Leal, a shop proprietor for over 45 years, was in his shop alone in the morning when the men entered. Family members recalled hearing the shots and then hearing the neighbors scream. Within seconds they were aware that their father had been shot.

The motive for the shooting was robbery, said police, because Leal?s pockets were turned out and a couple hundred dollars were taken from his wallet.

The prosecution was represented by Marjorie Moyston.