Parliamentarian Neil Rowe’s rape case is heading into addresses to the jury on Monday, paving the way for the judge’s summation and a possible verdict next week.
This, after the the defence called its final witness yesterday and closed its case.
Barry Daniel, who was with Rowe hours prior to the alleged rape, testified he saw the alleged victim gyrating on Rowe during an event put on by one “Surf Rat” in Dash Valley, St George, and Rowe tapping her more than once to stop her.
Rowe, Member of Parliament for St Michael North West and former deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, is charged with the rape of a woman on September 18, 2022, at his Kingsland Terrace, Christ Church home and he pleaded not guilty on April 7.
During his 28-minute testimony when the matter resumed around 10:21 a.m. yesterday before Justice Pamela Beckles in the No. 5 Supreme Court, Daniel said he and Rowe entered at the same time and at the bar a woman came over who Rowe introduced to him as a friend he met during elections. She was wearing a blue jeans and during the night, she took them to where she was standing and he was introduced to Wilfred Abrahams while “Browne” and “Fowlie” were also at that table.
The witness said that the woman, the alleged victim, was dancing and she was “enjoying herself”, causing Rowe to tap her and tell her to stop what Daniel described as “waistline” movements. As the event was drawing to a close, he suggested to Rowe that they leave and around that time the woman and her male friend were discussing getting home.
Daniel said he was about a foot away and could hear the conversation before he and Rowe left walking in an area where there were grits, and as they were doing so the woman ran to Rowe. The two, he added, held hands “like a couple” and he went to his vehicle which was closer and did not see them again.
The witness said he became aware that Rowe was charged and Rowe had reached out to him via text asking him to contact a particular sergeant, but he was unable to do so after several attempts. He was never contacted by the police in relation to the matter, Daniel stated.
Under cross-examination, he said he never went to the police station while Rowe was there.
He could not recall the last name of the woman whom Rowe introduced him to, and when he saw them walking together, Rowe was not helping her by the arm but they were walking hand-in-hand and the area where they were walking was not muddy.
The first time he saw Abrahams, said Daniel, he was at a table and he spent the entire time at the event with Rowe and had his own ginger ale and whiskey beverage. He was not dancing but there was music and he could not say he was privy to everything Rowe and the woman were talking about, but he overheard most of their conversation though the music was on.
He did not go to the bathroom, but stood where he was the entire night, Daniel told the court.
He said Rowe had been standing with the woman gyrating on him because that is how he dances – standing, not even shifting from one foot to the other.
The witness said that he and Rowe became friends around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and at one point Rowe gave him money when he was short on change as he was that type of person.
Daniel said he had expressed an interest in politics and told the court he did contract work for the Government which involved installing a septic tank.
At the end of his evidence, the defence rested its case. Principal State Counsel Olivia Davis is the prosecutor and a jury of five women and four men has been empanelled to deliberate the matter. King’s Counsel Michael Lashley, and attorneys Safiya Moore, Sade Harris and Johnelle King, are appearing for Rowe. (AC)
