By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A DOCTOR testified yesterday that a woman reported being threatened with a gun during an alleged sexual assault by a man who gave her a ride in western New Providence in 2023.
The doctor was the prosecution’s final witness before it closed its case without calling its remaining witnesses. The defence did not object.
Dr Jenna Butler testified in the rape trial of Kennedy Ingraham before Justice Jeannine Weech-Gomez.
Prosecutors allege that Ingraham raped a 36-year-old woman, whose name is being withheld, after giving her a ride in western New Providence around 9am on March 20, 2023.
The defendant allegedly took the woman to a residence in Coral Harbour, where the assault allegedly occurred in his car.
Afterwards, he allegedly drove the woman to her job at a grocery store.
The defence has claimed the sex was consensual and transactional. It further claimed the complainant fabricated the allegation after Ingraham failed to pay her the $250 they had allegedly agreed on beforehand.
Dr Butler said she performed a physical examination and rape kit on the complainant at 2pm on March 20, 2023. She also took the complainant’s history.
During cross-examination by defence attorney Indiana Fitzgerald, Dr Butler confirmed that the complainant said the accused allegedly wore a condom.
Dr Butler said the complainant indicated she had not had consensual sex within 72 hours.
The doctor said sperm could survive for 72 hours in the vagina.
The complainant told the doctor the assailant allegedly used a gun to coerce her into having sex with him.
However, the medical form indicated that the complainant did not say the accused threatened her.
The defence noted that the doctor did not write in her report that the complainant was crying.
Dr Butler said the complainant was solemn during the examination. She said the complainant was withdrawn, spoke little and made little eye contact.
The defence asked why the doctor did not write those additional details in her report.
The doctor replied that solemn described all of those words.
The defence suggested the doctor added the details after the fact.
Dr Butler said the complainant did not appear to have difficulty breathing during the examination.
She said there were no marks on the complainant’s mouth.
The doctor clarified that she observed a natural discharge after using a plastic apparatus to open the complainant’s vagina.
While Dr Butler said such a discharge does not occur with every patient, she indicated it was still normal.
Dr Butler said that during the examination, a male officer and the complainant’s pastor, who acted as a Creole translator, were on the other side of a screen.
Dr Butler said the complainant was wearing a torn green short-sleeved shirt. The doctor could not recall where the shirt was torn, and her report did not indicate where the tear was.
During re-examination, Dr Butler told the prosecution that she does not always see trauma when a person says they have been raped.
The doctor previously said she observed no marks, cuts, bruises or abrasions on the complainant.
Dr Butler said the complainant had not bathed or changed clothes since the alleged incident.
The complainant told the doctor there was allegedly successful penetration and ejaculation during the assault.
The complainant described her assailant as a light-skinned black man.
The complainant told the doctor that she caught a ride with the accused, was taken to a residence and was allegedly forced to have sex with him at gunpoint.
The doctor said it was possible the complainant was crying during the examination without her seeing it.
Dr Butler said she did not know the complainant and that the complainant gave limited responses during the examination.
The doctor said she had no reason to make up the responses in her report.
Sonia Timothy Knowles and Crystal Stuart also represented the accused.
Shaneka Carey and Betty Wilson prosecuted the case.
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