John Ellis’ mother is accused of ordering a hit on his father’s life and now a statement that he claims to never have made has been read in court, defending his mom.
When can John Ellis catch a break?
John Ellis says he didn’t write the statement read in trial on Wednesday, signed in his name, that asked for a more lenient sentence for his mother Noor Ellis, reports the AAP.
His father, Australian businessman Robert Ellis, was found dead in a Bali rice field ditch in October 2014, wrapped in plastic, with the throat slit.
Now Noor Ellis, along with seven others (five men and the Ellis family’s two maids) are standing trial for plotting and carrying out the killing.
Noor Ellis’ defense attorney Ketut Suwiga Arya Dauh reportedly read the statement as if it was written by John Ellis, the older of Noor Ellis’ two sons with her slain husband.
“The witness begs that if his mother is truly involved in this matter of the death of his father, the sentence for his mother be lenient because his mother is the family’s backbone,” Dauh read, as quoted by the AAP.
“For money to go to school, for food and drink as well, the witness and his brother must ask their mother’s siblings.”
John Ellis says he wants this false statement with a forged signature backdated to December 11 retracted and he doesn’t want to tell the court what sentence his mother should get.
“We just want the justice system to do its thing,” he told AAP.
But on another note, the late Robert Ellis’ brother, David Ellis, was very direct about the outcome he wants.
“I’d be happy with death, I’ve got no qualms about it,” he said outside court, as quoted by AAP.
“At least a minimum of 20 years, you’d have to think anything less than that would not be justice.”
