World enews: Nikolas Cruz’s team says brain is ‘irretrievably broken’ because of mother’s drinking as he fights against death penalty

Nikolas Cruz’s defence team said that his brain is “irretrievably broken” because of his biological mother’s drinking and drug-taking while pregnant, as they urged jurors not to sentence the mass shooter to death.

Attorneys for Cruz delivered opening statements in his defence on Monday morning, as they began their case at his sentencing trial in Broward County, Florida.

Lead public defender Melisa McNeill acknowledged that “there is no defence for this crime” and that Cruz is the “one person responsible for all the pain and suffering” caused by the massacre on Valentine’s Day 2018.

But, while it was him who “viciously murdered 17 people”, Ms McNeill said that the “choices” he made that day all started with the “choices” made by his biological mother Brenda Woodard.

“His brain is broken. He is a damaged human being,” she said.

She detailed how his mother – who put him up for adoption – was homeless, an alcoholic, drug addict and working as a prosititue when she fell pregnant with him.

Jurors will hear from witnesses – including Cruz’s biological sister and Ms Woodard’s former friend and codefendant – about how she continued to drink, take drugs and smoke during her pregnancy, the attorney said.

“His prenatal vitamins consisted of… Bum wine, crack cocaine and cigarettes,” she said.

“Because of that his brain is irretrievably broken.”

Ms McNeill said that Cruz suffered from foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) as she told jurors they must “understand the person behind the crime” before they decide if he “lives or dies”.

“I stand before you today in a space filled with overwhelming sadness, painstaking grief, anger and trauma,” she said.

“We have all seen and heard things that no one should have to see or hear. Things that will haunt us forever.

“And everyone sitting here in this courtroom know that there is one person responsible for all the pain and suffering and that person is Nikolas Cruz,” she said, pointing at him in the courtroom.

The attorney said that his legal team will show them “more about who Nikolas Cruz is… who shaped him… who wasn’t around to shape him.”

“We must understand the person behind the crime… in telling you about his life we will give you reasons for a life,” she said, saying that the defence will provide mitigating circumstances around why Cruz should live.

Ms McNeill told jurors that it is down to them to decide whether the mass killer “lives or dies”, saying that each of them must make the decision on an “individual” basis as to whether or not to sentence him to death or to life in prison.

Jurors must unanimously decide on the death penalty for him to receive a sentence of death. If just one juror reaches a verdict of life in prison then he will receive a life sentenece rather than death.

During the opening statement, Cruz was seen making comments to one of the other members of his legal team.

On 14 February 2018, Cruz travelled to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in American history.

The 14 students killed in the massacre were: Alyssa Alhadeff, Martin Duque, Nicholas Dworet, Jaime Guttenberg, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang.

The three adults killed were: Scott Beigel, Chris Hixon and Aaron Feis.