The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE officer testified before a Supreme Court jury yesterday that a woman who accused Kennedy Ingraham of rape appeared distressed and had a torn shirt when he assisted her after the alleged incident in March 2023.

Corporal Rogers Strachan Jr told the jury before Justice Jeanine Weech-Gomez that he met the complainant at the Criminal Investigation Department before taking her for a medical examination. He said she also took him to the alleged crime scene, where she directed him to a green house and said she was assaulted in the yard.

Ingraham is on trial over allegations that he raped the woman on March 20, 2023.

Prosecutors allege the woman accepted a ride while travelling to work before being taken to a property in the Coral Harbour area, where she was sexually assaulted.

Earlier this week, the woman told the jury that Ingraham threatened her with a firearm, choked her and raped her inside a vehicle parked at the property. She identified Ingraham in court as her attacker.

She previously told the jury that Ingraham stopped at a property in the Coral Harbour area and went inside a residence while she remained in the vehicle.

She said he later returned wearing or carrying what appeared to be an immigration jacket and presented it to her before allegedly threatening her with a firearm and raping her.

Defence attorney Sonia Timothy-Knowles has disputed that account, alleging the sexual encounter was consensual and that the complainant fabricated the allegation after Ingraham refused to pay her $250.

Cpl Strachan told the court that he accompanied Milien to the hospital, where a doctor examined her and collected evidence that was later turned over to the police.

He also testified that he later travelled with the woman to the Coral Harbour area, where she identified the location where she said the assault occurred.

Asked about the woman’s condition at the time, Cpl Strachan said she appeared distraught.

Under cross-examination, Ms Timothy-Knowles questioned the officer about his observations of the complainant, but Cpl Strachan maintained that she was crying while he assisted her.

He said he had difficulty communicating with her because he did not speak Creole. A pastor assisted in translating during their interactions on the day of the alleged incident.

The officer told the court that he was present during the medical examination and later transported evidence collected at the hospital to investigators at CID.

Cpl Strachan also confirmed that the woman’s shirt was torn down the centre when he encountered her, although he said he could not recall whether the garment was collected as evidence.

Questioned about the route taken to the Coral Harbour property, the officer said he could not remember the exact directions but recalled travelling to the area identified by the complainant.

He also acknowledged that identifying surveillance cameras at the property was not part of his role because he was not the investigating officer.

Asked about his involvement in the case, Cpl Strachan said his responsibilities included transporting the woman to the hospital, accompanying her to the location she identified and handling evidence collected during the examination.

Crown Counsel Carey asked where he first met the woman. He replied that it was at CID, though he could not recall the exact time other than that it was during the daytime.

The trial was adjourned until 11am today before Justice Weech-Gomez.