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MURDER IN THE PARK: 'I am blind with wobbly eyes, so how could I kill?'
NEGUS Nelson believes he is one of only two albinos living in Sheffield.
The 19-year-old said his condition meant it was impossible for him to have been the gunman who fired at Jonathan Matondo from a distance of more than 60 feet - because of sight problems.
He repeatedly described himself as blind and told jurors that although he can see figures at a distance he cannot see features and his eyes wobble.
When giving evidence in court he used a magnifying glass to read.
While a pupil at Firs Hill Primary School, Nelson attended Tapton Mount Specialist School one day a week, where he was encouraged to mix with others with sight problems.
He spent the next five years at Firth Park Community Arts College, but left without any qualifications and has never had a job.
Instead he dealt drugs to earn cash. He says he only ever supplied cannabis and relied on state benefits.
His father, Garfield Nelson, aged 47, from Lowedges, says his son is innocent and there are explanations for all the evidence against him.
He told The Star: "They found firearm discharge particles on his clothes when they arrested him, but it was two days after the murder. He could have come into contact with a lot of people over that time, it doesn't mean he did it.
"Negus has cried every single day since this happened, he didn't do it and all he could do was tell the jury that he didn't do it, he wasn't there and he doesn't know who did it - hoping that justice would prevail.
"There are people who know the truth and they should come forward.
"We want the killer caught, and justice for the deceased, because it was a heinous crime. But it has to be the right person."
Negus' sister Rachel Wiggan, 29, added: "We are not S4 - we have relatives who live in S3 and S4. Negus has about 75 male cousins, we are a family - not a gang."
Another male relative added: "It's not the Wild West, it's not like everyone's running around with guns - if they are, I've never seen them."
ALBINISM FACTFILE
Albinism is an inherited genetic condition present at birth, characterised by a lack of pigment that normally gives colour to the skin, hair, and eyes.
The condition, which is found in all races, may be accompanied by eye problems and may lead to skin cancer later in life.
Albinism is a rare disorder found in fewer than five people per 100,000 in the United States and Europe.
Growth, development and intellectual development are normal in people with the condition.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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