Case discontinued against men accused of kidnapping

7
Simpson

The High Court on Friday discontinued the case against three men who were charged with unlawful confinement of a woman.

Dene Matherson, Corey Cannonier and Glen Strann were accused of holding Osuide Simpson against her will.

The police alleged the incident occurred at a house on DeSouza Road in April of 2017.

However, prosecutors in the High Court found that there was no evidence to support the charge.

In fact, Simpson told police she was never held against her will.

She said she could have left at any time but stayed with the men to get access to drugs.  

The woman, who was facing a charge of serious indecency on minor, had been on the run after escaping a half-way house where she was receiving court-mandated treatment.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. False allegations made by women are happening against men in Antigua all the time! It’s time for the government to pass a law that protects men against false allegations! This is getting to be rediculous!

  2. Where in this it says false accusation? Fake rastaman if you drag back your memory and be reminded about this story u will remember that the only reason they were charge is because the outcry of the public. Blame the police for even allowing this case to go to trial especially since she done tell them no one held her against her will. The police is to be blamed clearly for this one.

  3. She said that from day one so why did the young men have to go through this for so long? Plight of poor people in Antigua and Barbuda.

  4. NOT THE HIGH COURT
    Exercising powers residing with him in the Constitution, the ‘…Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) discontinued the criminal prosecution against the accused men [CO: 1981: Section 88 (c)].

    Contrary to popular belief;

    (i) …the Police arrested and charged;

    (ii) …Magistrate committed for Jury trial; and

    (iii) …the ‘DPP’ indicted for prosecution.

    Public interest so dictated then.

    There were always going to be challenges with the main prosecution witness, the Virtual complaint.

    Most unfortunate for the accused men, but ‘…All is well that ends well.’

    Reasonably suspected to have been mentally challenged, this, undoubtedly, would have posed difficulties in adducing evidence at trial.

    The victim, evidently an adult female, never made a report to the police.

    One shudders to think what she may have said to the investigators when interviewed.

    If what is reported in this news story reflects what actually transpired at Court, then the alleged victim may have been ‘…collected enough’ to dispel ‘…false; …mistaken or presumptuous beliefs;’ or …doubts about the allegations’ that she was held against her will.

    It is always better to allow ‘…100 guilty men to go free, than to punish one innocent man.’

  5. BE CAREFUL REPORTERS

    ‘…The police alleged that the crime occurred at a house on De Souza Road in April 2017;’

    However, prosecutors (DPP’s representative) in the High Court found that there was no evidence to support the charge’ [Paragraphs: 3 & 4].

    With such reporting, it begs two questions;

    (i) …Why did the Magistrate committed the three accused for Jury trial? and

    (ii) …Why did the DPP himself indict the accused for trial with no supporting evidence?’

    Lest readers are left to speculate, these may have been clarified.

    Perhaps, other than what was reported in the news, though not obliged, other reasons may also have been given for the discontinuation.

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