‘Impotent’ grandfather acquitted of having sex with 12-year-old
An all-female jury took a mere 35 minutes to acquit an octogenarian of charges that he had sex with a 12-year-old girl, after he admitted he was impotent, in a drama-filled trial in the Home Circuit Court Friday.
The 81-year-old Kingston resident drew peals of raucous laughter when he told the court his “willie cannot work”, under cross-examination.
Allegations against the senior citizen are that he had had sexual intercourse with the minor on April 20, 2004 and in early May at his home, before being arrested on May 15 that year and charged with carnal abuse.
On the second occasion that the act allegedly took place, the girl told the court, the accused gave her $50 and had sex with her after she told him that she would not be coming back to his house again. The alleged encounters occurred while the girl was on her way to and from school.
The accused, however, told the court that he treated the girl as a grandchild, and would sometimes give her, and others, lunch money. He charged that the girl falsely accused him of having sex with her after she got into trouble with her school and her mother for allegedly stealing money from him.
During examination-in-chief by attorney Peter Champagnie, the man said that he could not have had sex with the girl as his “willie cannot work”, a statement that sparked an outburst of laughter from those present in court, including the jurors.
A smiling Justice Marav McDonald-Bishop had to call for order in the court, as another chorus of laughter continued when Champagnie tried to ascertain from the accused the identity of ‘willie’.
To uncontrollable laughter, the attorney asked: “Who is ‘willie?’ What is his relation to you?” At this point, the man made clear to the court that ‘willie’ was his penis and that he was impotent.
The trial that started on Monday had had to be adjourned on Thursday as the grandfather of six got sick and threw up in the dock, then wet himself shortly after asking to be excused to use the restroom.
After just 35 minutes of deliberation on Friday, the six jurors returned a verdict of not guilty.
