A jury yesterday afternoon unanimously acquitted Edgar Holder of the 2018 rape of a 14-year-old girl, who, according to the case for the prosecution had boarded his minibus to travel home after leaving lessons.
Following hours of deliberations, the 12-member mixed panel returned its verdict, finding a visibly relieved Holder not guilty of raping the teen on January 19th, 2018 at an East Coast location.
When given a chance to speak, Holder who professed his innocence, was high in praise.
“Your Honour, I just want to give God thanks and praises, because from the beginning I’m innocent.”
He then extended gratitude to the jury, his attorney Rachael Bakker and “all those involved in the case.”
Justice Brassington Reynolds who presided over the trial then informed Holder that he was free to go, but not before issuing a stern warning to ensure he stays clear of trouble.
In his admonition, the judge told the former accused that it is the closest he would want to get to a sentence of life in prison.
The trial proceedings were held in-camera at the Georgetown Sexual Offences Court.
The case for the prosecution represented by state attorneys Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig was that the complainant and another teenage girl boarded a minibus after her lessons had ended on the day in question.
The court had heard that instead of stopping and putting her off at her destination, the accused told her that “he was going to Mahaica to collect something” and she said that “she will pay and to put her off there and she will walk the rest” but was aggressively told to “shut up and don’t say anything else.”
The young woman detailed that at this point the other passengers had already disembarked the minibus at their respective stops, and that she and the other teenager who were coming off at other stops, were the only ones remaining in the vehicle.
The virtual complainant (VC) said she was driven to a dam area which she described as being bushy and dark, at which point she began feeling scared.
When the mini bus eventually came to a halt, the woman said that she and the other teenager were ordered out of the vehicle.
She said that they were both taken into a shack where she was bound before being sexually assaulted.
She said that both her and the other girl began to scream at which point the other young woman was beaten to the head.
After the assault, she said that they were both ordered to get dressed and threatened that if they ever told anyone about what had transpired they would never again see their families.
The girl had, however, related to her mother and sisters what had happened and a police report was made which led to a search for the accused whom the VC had provided a description of as well as his minibus.
Following investigations, Holder was located, arrested and charged.
