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But, he told Judge Robert Clark and the jurors, it was the “culmination” of “many, many years of horrific physical, sexual and verbal abuse that no one should have to tolerate,” least of all “a quiet, vulnerable young woman.”

It is, it appears, the modern, gender-corrected version of the old “she was asking for it” defence.

Mr. Goldkind’s first witness was Lisa Wynter, Mr. Gillespie’s probation officer.

A bright, capable young woman, she knew him over the course of four years, three separate probation orders (all stemming from assault convictions against Ms. Lewis), two efforts to get him into the Partner Abuse Response, a domestic-violence program (he failed to show up the first time, but about 10 days before his death, had completed it).

She also had two phone chats with Ms. Lewis, making sure she understood the no-contact part of the order, asking if she was afraid of Mr. Gillespie (she was not) and what her view of the relationship was (it was all right, Ms. Lewis said).

Next up was David Sammut, this story’s white knight.

A bystander who was out gardening in front of his west-end house on May 29 last year, Mr. Sammut is the sort of fellow you’d want to have your back.

His wife had noticed some sort of ruckus; she thought perhaps a dog had been hit by a car, but wasn’t sure.

Mr. Sammut grabbed his cell and ran to the scene: Mr. Gillespie was on the ground, Ms. Lewis was holding him and screaming hysterically. She gave Mr. Sammut her phone and asked him to talk to the 911 operator.