Sorry if I wasn't clear, but the implication was intended to be that the prosecution would set out a case (witness statements, DNA whatever...) and just replyin

Sorry if I wasn't clear, but the implication was intended to be that the prosecution would set out a case (witness statements, DNA whatever...) and just replying as the defendant with a simple statement would not be enough. The jury will do what the jury will do, but my very very limited experience (was on jury duty but didn't actually sit on a case, chatted to a defense lawyer and chatted to someone else who has also actually sat on a jury for a murder case - all in the UK) is that they are more inclined to side with the defendant. Edited to clarify the first paragraph