Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's defence lawyer pleads his guilt, but blames his brother Tamerlan for leading him astray.
ADVERTISEMENT“It WAS him,” defence lawyer Judy Clarke bluntly told the court during her opening statement in defence of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
The 21-year-old is fighting for his life. If he is found guilty of the attacks, the jury could decide to sentence him to death.
Clarke argued that her team would not attempt to “sidestep” Tsanaev’s guilt for what she called “senseless, horribly misguided acts carried out by two brothers.”
She went on to present an argument aimed at saving her client’s life, by saying he was acting under the influence of his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed in a police shoot-out shortly after the bombings.
Three people were killed and over 260 injured when two homemade bombs were detonated near the finish line of the race. Tsarnaev faces 30 charges, including murder and using a weapon of mass destruction, resulting in death.
Prior to the trial, Tsarnaev’s defence team argued he may not be given a fair trial in Boston, due to strong feelings about the attack within the local community.