The Pemble obligation to leave defences to the jury does not require a trial judge to direct on self-defence or provocation where the evidence does not support those defences, even where defence counsel has adverted to them. Where the forensic evidence establishes asphyxiation as at least a substantial cause of death and the only available defence is accident (lack of intention), self-defence and provocation are not raised by the evidence because both require acceptance of an intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm. In murder cases involving deliberate physical acts with disputed intent, the question is one of intention, not accident in the sense of an unwilled act or unforeseeable event.
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