The murder trial of an alleged Chula Vista bank robber got underway Tuesday with the man’s attorney telling jurors his client was defending himself when he allegedly strangled another inmate in jail.
A jury was sworn in Tuesday and began hearing testimony about Clinton Forbel Thinn, 30, and the death of Lyle Woodward, 31, who was found unresponsive Dec. 3, 2016, in the fifth floor of the central jail in downtown San Diego.
Woodward was taken off life support systems a week later after never regaining consciousness.
Thinn was in jail awaiting trial on five counts of attempted robbery from tellers at the Bank of America at Third and E Streets in Chula Vista on June 24, 2016. He is also charged with five counts of false imprisonment, burglary, and making a criminal threat to those employees. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a separate trial in Chula Vista Superior Court.
Thinn fired an orange flare gun during the robbery attempt, and a projectile hit a wall. No one was hurt and he did not get any money before he was arrested.
Deputy District Attorney Karra Reedy told jurors in San Diego Superior Court she will ask them to convict Thinn of first-degree murder. She said there is no fingerprint evidence or DNA evidence, as Thinn also lived in the module with Woodward and his prints and DNA were already there.
She told the seven woman, five man jury and Judge Frederick Maguire the cause of death was cardiac arrest due to strangulation. Reedy said Woodward lost consciousness as a result of strangulation during the night and suffered brain damage.
Attorney Keenan Gultekin, who represents Thinn, said his client was “trapped and scared” while he was in the module with Woodward. “There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” added Gultekin. “This is a tiny cell.”
“He(Woodward) assaulted my client. Mr. Thinn had no choice,” said Gultekin.
Thinn is from New Zealand. Gultekin described him as “a foreigner” with “an accent” who “didn’t fit in.”
“He had no choice, but to defend himself,” said Gultekin, who did not specify what Thinn allegedly did to Woodward.
He said the prosecutor doesn’t have enough evidence to prove Thinn committed murder.
Several sheriff’s deputies who worked in the jail were among the first witnesses in describing the fifth floor of the central jail.
Deputy Charles de la Cruz testified he received a “man down” call from an intercom. He said a prisoner said this: “My cellmate needs to get his vital signs checked by the nurse.”
Edward Woodward, the victim’s father, testified he and his wife made the decision to take their son off life support systems after he was in a coma for a week in the hospital.
Woodward said his son was on a ventilator because he could not breathe on his own.
“I was there every day until he passed,” said Woodward. “It wouldn’t make sense to continue life support.”
Thinn was dressed in a green jail uniform in court. He has pleaded not guilty. Thinn remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail.
