Where a jury is satisfied that an accused deliberately stabbed the deceased in a vulnerable part of the body with more than trivial force, a finding of murderous intent will almost inevitably follow. Courts should exercise caution before leaving reckless murder as an alternative to intentional murder, particularly where voluntariness and self-defence are also in issue, but an impeccable charge can cure any potential prejudice. Changes in the prosecution case that benefit the accused, and a momentarily inappropriate tone in a prosecutor's closing address that is not the subject of any application by defence counsel, will not ordinarily give rise to a substantial miscarriage of justice.
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