A jury note enquiring about 'evidence relating to motivation and character' does not, without more, indicate that the jury has been influenced by pre-trial publicity about the accused's prior convictions; such a note may be consistent with the jury reasoning from the trial evidence about the accused's character in connection with motive. In a circumstantial case, the appellate court must assess the cumulative weight of all circumstances, not each in isolation, and must give due regard to the jury's common experience of human affairs.
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