In R v. Edwards, what was the primary reason the court denied the provocation defense?

In R v. Edwards, the court's denial of the provocation defense was primarily based on the premise that the accused had been engaging in blackmail against the deceased. This context is crucial as it established a significant imbalance in the relationship between the accused and the deceased and raised questions about the moral culpability of the accused in the circumstances leading to the incident. The court may have viewed the act of blackmail as demonstrating a premeditated intention to control or coerce the deceased, which undermined the argument that the accused's actions were a spontaneous response to provocation.

In essence, the act of engaging in blackmail suggests a calculated mindset on the part of the accused, which can negate claims to provocation that typically require a sudden loss of self-control in response to a grave threat or attack. Therefore, the court found that the nature of the accused's actions did not warrant the recognition of provocation as a valid defense in this case.