An uncle has been found guilty of indecently assaulting his niece six years ago.
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The 55-year-old St John man had denied committing the offence on April 15, 2019, but after deliberating for just under two hours last Friday, an eight-member jury in Supreme Court No. 4A returned a guilty verdict.
The girl, who was 12 at the time, testified that she and her younger brother went over to their uncle’s house. They later decided to play hide and seek, so she hid inside a closet in her uncle’s bedroom. By the time she came out of hiding, he was already in the room. That was when he pressed her up against a wall, touched her breast, buttocks and vagina, and put his tongue in her mouth.
In an unsworn statement from the dock, the man described the case as “quite disturbing” and one which he wanted to be “over with in the right way” so he could carry on with his life.
During his closing address, the uncle, who represented himself, told jurors he was not happy because his niece
had lied on him.
In the statement which he gave to police and which he referred to in court, he recalled holding the girl’s face between his two palms and kissing her on the lips, but said he never touched her breasts, vagina or buttocks.
Principal State Counsel Olivia Davis and State Counsel Tito Holder prosecuted.
Justice Donna Babb-Agard ordered the first-time offender to return to court on January 12 next year when a pre-sentencing report is expected to be presented. (SD)
