The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN faces up to life imprisonment next week having been unanimously convicted yesterday by a Supreme Court jury of statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl.

Alban “Medico” Johnson, who was found guilty (9-0) of unlawful sex, seemed in disbelief at the verdict and at a loss for words when Senior Justice Jon Isaacs asked if he had anything to say before sentence was passed on him for his actions on May 31, 2013.

Bernard Ferguson, Johnson’s lawyer, requested a probation report be done with respect to his client.

The judge, however, said he was “not minded” to have one, but would hear a plea in mitigation from the lawyer on July 8 at the

sentencing.

Johnson was alleged to have picked up the girl from a settlement on a Family Island and had sex with her in a van.

Last week in testimony, Johnson admitted that he and a friend picked up the girl and dropped her back, but denied any claims of a sexual encounter.

Senior Justice Isaacs, during his summation, noted that there was no forensic evidence linking Johnson to the alleged incident, despite the defendant giving permission for biological samples to be taken from him as well as a rape kit being taken from the complainant.

He added that supporting evidence is normally expected when seeking to convict in matters of sexual nature, but said it did not mean that a guilty verdict could not be arrived at.

He noted that the Crown’s case was one of corroboration between the complainant’s evidence and that of the other female in the car.

However, he warned the jury to be careful of corroborating evidence because in the absence of supporting evidence, making a claim of sexual assault was easy to do, but difficult to refute.

He concluded that concerning the law, children under the age of 17 could not give consent to have sex.

A little more than an hour after being excused, the nine-member jury returned with the unanimous guilty verdict which reflected their belief that he did have unlawful sex with an underaged girl.

Algernon Allen II and LaNell Williams prosecuted the case.