Following a jury trial, Vincente R. Cantera was convicted of voluntary manslaughter OCGA § 16-5-2, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime voluntary manslaughter OCGA § 16-11-106, aggravated assault OCGA § 16-5-21, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime aggravated assault OCGA § 16-11-106, and concealing the death of another OCGA §16-10-31. On appeal, Cantera challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, and contends that the trial court erred i in overruling his objection to an independent act which impermissibly placed his character in issue, ii in charging the jury on aggravated assault, iii in failing to charge the jury on the affirmative defenses of self defense and justification, and iv in merging Cantera’s convictions of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission thereof with his convictions of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of that crime, for purposes of sentencing. Finding that the trial court did not enter judgments of conviction on the voluntary manslaughter and related firearm counts and discerning no error otherwise, we affirm. When a defendant contends that there was insufficient evidence to convict him, we review the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, and we neither assess witness credibility nor weigh the evidence. The defendant no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence. As long as there is some competent evidence, even though contradicted, to support each fact necessary to make out the State’s case, the jury’s verdict will be upheld. Citations and punctuation omitted. Nelson v. State , 277 Ga. App. 92, 93 1 625 SE2d 465 2005. Viewed in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict Drammeh v. State , 285 Ga. App. 545, 546 1 646 SE2d 742 2007, the evidence shows that at approximately 4:00 p.m., on August 14, 2000, Cantera told his son, Efrain Cantera, that he had shot and killed Jose Luis Guerrero, a neighbor to whom Cantera had earlier disclosed that he had his wife murdered while on a trip to Mexico. That evening, Cantera drove Efrain and a man whom Efrain identified only as Oscar to an Echols County hunting property which Cantera leased. There, at gunpoint, Cantera forced Efrain and Oscar to bury the victim. A week later Cantera drove to Florida and gave away a Colt-Super .38 handgun.
Peuvlito Cantera “Peuvlito”, Cantera’s daughter, saw the victim at Cantera’s home on the morning he disappeared. When she returned at approximately 3:00-3:30 p.m. that day, Peuvlito observed Cantera inside the victim’s trailer. Cantera appeared to be putting some of the victim’s belongings into a bag and burning other items outside. About a month later, Cantera explained what he had been doing, telling Peuvlito that he killed the victim for “our protection.”
