The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A JURY of seven women and two men unanimously acquitted a 59-year-old grandfather of two counts of incest yesterday.

It had been alleged that on Saturday, January 15, 2011 and on Sunday, January 16, 2011, the virtual complainant, a 12-year-old girl, was sexually abused by her grandfather.

The complainant claimed she was molested by her grandfather over a six year period when she took the stand on Tuesday.

On the mornings of the days in question, she testified that her grandfather touched her breasts and placed his fingers in her vagina.

Yesterday Supreme Court jurors took four hours to make their decision, reaching their verdict around 5.15pm.

The trial before Justice Bernard Turner lasted five days, beginning on Monday.

Outside the courtroom the man’s wife and another one of his family members cried as they surrounded him, hugging each other.

The acquitted man declined to speak to the press but his attorney Jumo Campbell expressed gratitude on his behalf.  

Mr Campbell said: “We think justice was served. Considering the nature of the offence we don’t want this outcome to be a deterrent to anyone who may have been a victim of this kind of crime but we think at the end of the day the jury considered the lack of evidence in this case from the prosecution.”

Throughout the trial Mr Campbell told jurors that the case came down to what the elderly man said about what happened on the mornings in question as opposed to what the virtual complainant claimed took place.

He asked jurors to consider what he called a lack of evidence by the prosecution when they considered their verdict.