Attorneys have ended arguments in the trial of a Town of Chester official accused of shooting a delivery driver last May.
While Chester Highway Superintendent John Reilly's defense attorney argues his client made a mistake, an Orange County prosecutor says “bullets go where guns are aimed.”
Jury deliberations will begin Tuesday morning as Reilly faces attempted murder, assault and other felony charges for allegedly shooting DoorDash driver Alpha Barry in his driveway.
Barry said he went to Reilly’s home to ask for help when his phone died.
Reilly's attorneys argued their client was afraid for his family's safety.
Defense attorney Thomas Kenniff, said Reilly's daughter told her father, “Daddy there’s a stranger at the door." He argued Barry’s poor English contributed to the miscommunication that led to the shooting.
Reilly has maintained he was acting in self-defense when he fired two warning shots at Barry's car.
Barry was shot in the back and spent months recovering from the incident. He testified he had to use a colostomy bag for six months.
The prosecution attorney, Senior Assistant Orange County District Attorney Nicholas Mangold, said Reilly intentionally tried to shoot Barry as he drove away.
County prosecutors said the jury should dismiss Reilly's testimony entirely because they alleged he was lying when he said he had never hurt anyone in his life. They introduced allegations during the trial that he had previously grabbed his wife by the throat while she was pregnant and had threatened to kill her and their children — something the defense said took place more than a decade ago and of which Reilly was never formally accused.
The prosecution said Reilly never called 911 but instead called a friend in law enforcement.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Tuesday.
