By AZARD ALI Tuesday, October 20 2009

A 31-YEAR-OLD private hire (PH) driver from Point Fortin was yesterday freed by a jury in the San Fernando High Court on two charges of raping a schoolgirl and committing grievous sexual assault on her. The charges were brought against the accused man in 2003, after the then 13-year-old girl reported to police that at 7 pm on June 5, she was awaiting transport in Point Fortin after attending lessons.

The man was accused of picking up the teen and taking her to a construction site in Point Fortin where he sexually assaulted her. Justice Anthony Carmona presided over the trial in the Second Assizes, San Fernando, in which the State called six witnesses. Cpl Anthony Monseque laid the charge.

After retiring for about an hour to deliberate on the evidence brought in the trial, the foreman of the nine-member jury announced that the accused was not guilty on both counts. Carmona told the jury that their finding of not-guilty was consistent with evidence. He then informed the man that he was freed of the charges.