Soldier on rape charge wins appeal for bail
Published:Thursday | March 13, 2025 | 8:06 AM
A Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) lance corporal, who reportedly abducted a female trainee and raped her last December, was offered $250,000 bail in the Supreme Court, after he was denied bail in the parish court and successfully appealed.
The 30-year-old soldier was offered bail by Justice Tania Mott Tulloch Reid on February 26, on charges of rape, forcible abduction and indecent assault.
The accused was arrested on allegations that, on December 30, he forcibly brought the complainant into the gym at the JDF headquarters at South Camp Road in Kingston and sexually assaulted her after she sought his assistance with providing personal training.
He was subsequently brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on February 5, but was denied bail by Parish Judge Natalie Ebanks-Miller because he would abscond bail and obstruct the course of justice.
APPEALED DENIAL
As a result, he appealed his denial.
His attorney-at-law, D’ondre Buchanan, argued during the hearing that the prosecution had failed to present any evidence to substantiate the reasons for refusing his client bail.
“There was nothing presented before the court to suggest that the defendant would fail to surrender to custody as he has been cooperative, and there was nothing to suggest that he would interfere with the witnesses,” he submitted.
The judge, following the hearing, ruled in favour of the soldier and offered him bail on condition that he surrender his travel documents with a stop order in place at all ports and report to the police station three times per week.
Another condition of his bail was that he is to reside in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
The soldier is to return to court on March 21.