Where defences arise solely from the accused's evidence and no Crown evidence independently establishes any defence, a trial judge may properly direct the jury that the defences apply only if the accused's account is accepted as true or possibly true, without separately directing that the jury may combine parts of different witnesses' evidence to form their own view of the facts for the purpose of the defences. An error in leaving the defence of compulsion to the jury on a murder charge, being favourable to the accused, does not occasion a miscarriage of justice.
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