Sniper suspect to be own lawyer

Mr Muhammad could face the death penalty if convicted

John Allen Muhammad, 42, one of the men accused of last year's sniper killings in the Washington area, has been granted permission to act as his own attorney.

The surprise decision was announced as Mr Muhammad's trial for the murder 53-year-old Dean Meyers at a petrol station in Manassas, Virginia, got under way.

Mr Muhammad's alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Lee Malvo, is expected to appear in court on Monday although prosecutors would not say why he was summoned.

The trial is taking place in Virginia Beach, 200 miles (324 kilometres) from the scene of the Manassas shooting, because it was deemed impossible to find an unbiased jury in the Washington area.

Start delayed

Analysts believe federal prosecutors chose Virginia for the first trial because it has the death penalty.

If you are on the ground or on a surface, say, the trunk of a car, this weapon becomes extremely safe and extremely accurate Prosecutor James Willett

Mr Muhammad has pleaded not guilty to the four charges he faces over Meyers' death - which include two counts of capital murder, one charge of conspiracy and a weapons charge.

The start of the trial was delayed for nearly one hour. When the proceedings finally got under way Judge LeRoy Millette immediately called both the prosecution and defence teams, including Mr Muhammad, to his bench.

During the 30-minute consultation the judge conversed directly with Mr Muhammad for more than five minutes before the decision to allow him to conduct his own defence was announced.

"He'll be treated as any other attorney would be treated," Judge Millette told the jury.

Stand-by defence team

Mr Muhammad will be permitted to consult with his former defence team, lawyers Peter Greenspun and Jonathan Shapiro, on a "stand-by" basis as needed, Judge Millette added.

The gun allegedly used in the attacks was shown to the jury

Ten people died in the Washington sniper attacks in October 2002, which terrorised the nation's capital region.

As he began his opening statement, prosecutor James Willett showed the jury a .223 Bushmaster rifle - the same automatic weapon found in the car in which Mr Muhammad and Mr Malvo were arrested on 24 October last year.

"It is a weapon that is best fired from the prone position," Reuters quoted him as saying.

"If you are on the ground or on a surface, say, the trunk of a car, this weapon becomes extremely safe and extremely accurate."

Brainwashing claim

He went on to show jurors photographs of the vehicle in which the pair were apprehended, a blue Chevrolet Caprice which had allegedly been modified to allow a gunman to lie in the boot of the car, with the muzzle of the weapon protruding out the back.

Malvo was 17 when he was arrested Trial reopens wounds

"The Caprice allowed them with impunity to travel where they wanted, park where they wanted and kill who they wanted," Mr Willett said.

Mr Malvo is to be tried next month on separate murder charges.

Mr Muhammad's lawyers have argued Mr Malvo did the actual shooting.

But Mr Malvo's lawyers contend that their young client was brainwashed by Mr Muhammad and say they will plead insanity.

At a pre-trial hearing for Mr Muhammad last week - when both suspects appeared in the same room for the first time since their arrest - Mr Malvo did not even acknowledge knowing the older man.

Mr Malvo refused to testify - instead choosing to invoke the Fifth Amendment which protects his right against self-incrimination.