The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN opted to remain silent rather than take the witness stand to defend himself against a charge of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl attending vacation Bible school.

Yesterday, 48-year-old Leroy Adderley was asked by Justice Vera Watkins if he would take the witness stand to give sworn testimony or give no testimony, as he is not obligated to prove anything according to law.

Adderley chose the latter. It is claimed that he, on July 30, 2007, sexually assaulted a girl, who was 12 years old at the time.

Adderley, who is represented by Romona 
Farquharson-Seymour, denies the charge and has pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, the now 18-year-old claimed she was asked by Leroy Adderley to go to the receptionist’s desk of the church to answer phone calls.

She said she followed him from the youth activity centre and downstairs towards that area, before being told they would go through the sanctuary and then the kitchen.

Then, the complainant said, Adderley pulled her from the kitchen into the woman’s rest-room and sexually assaulted her.

When asked by prosecutor Uel Johnson if she screamed when being pulled into the rest-room, she said: “I was too fearful to.”

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour suggested to the complainant that she was not telling the truth.

The complainant disagreed.

On Wednesday, Constable Tiffany Crawley said she interviewed Adderley on August 1.

The officer said the record of the interview was conducted with the then-suspect under caution.

“The suspect was asked a series of questions and he denied the allegations,” the witness said.

When cross-examined, the investigator admitted that she had not inquired, up to her testimony, about the results of a rape kit examination.

However, she denied that she did a “lousy job” in the investigation.

In yesterday’s hearing, after declining to take the witness stand in his own defence, Adderley’s lawyer addressed the jury.

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour submitted that the complainant’s evidence of the alleged sexual assault did not add up or make sense.

She added that the Crown also did not produce any results from the rape kit to substantiate its claim that it was Adderley who had assaulted the girl.

In response, Mr Johnson said that while there were no results, the physician who examined the complainant found tearing and lacerations when examining her, suggesting that only an adult could have done the damage that was done.

He added that the complainant, after going through such an experience, spoke to her mother with whom she felt most comfortable.

Justice Vera Watkins will summarise the evidence of the case to the jury before excusing the jury to deliberate on a verdict.