A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has rejected Abdifatah Mohamed's attempt to have the remaining charges against him tossed.

Mohamed is charged in a string of violent home invasions that happened on the northeast Avalon in early February 2017. He's also representing himself at trial in St. John's.

He had argued that no reasonable jury would find him guilty as the evidence against him is "predominantly circumstantial" and that there should be a directed verdict of not guilty on all the charges against him.

Prosecutors have already indicated that they cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mohamed, 28, and his three co-accused — Tyler Donahue, 24, Gary Hennessey, 33, and Mitchell Nippard, 26 — committed home invasions on Mount Royal Avenue in St. John's and Fourth Avenue in Mount Pearl.

Judge Mike Madden, as a result, did grant Mohamed's application when it came to those two home invasions.

Still enough evidence to proceed

However, Madden said there's still enough evidence — albeit circumstantial — to proceed on the final two home invasions that happened days apart in Paradise.

The Crown has argued that Mohamed went inside a home on Milton Road in Paradise on Feb. 8, 2017 and was part of a group of masked men who tied up the Crant family and robbed them.

A conditional release card issued for Abdifatah Mohamed by Correctional Service of Canada was discovered inside a vehicle which also allegedly contained stolen goods. (Court exhibit)

Mohamed is also alleged to have been inside a young mother's home on Angel's Road the next day, with a gun.

Madden pointed out that there is evidence Mohamed was involved in the second home invasion — his IDs were found in the alleged getaway car and a police dog tracked him from that car to a wooded area.

The gun found near the car contained DNA belonging to a member of the Crant family, who had been struck in the head by a gun the previous day.

Madden's ruling on Wednesday didn't appear to dampen Mohamed's spirits as he chatted with his co-accused and asked the other defence lawyers questions about the law.

He explained to Nippard and Hennessey what a directed verdict was, adding "it's kind of like a preliminary inquiry."

"Worth a try," Nippard told him, as the three men sat in a prisoner's box.

The trial will resume on March 27, at which time Mohamed will have a lawyer make final submissions to the court.