KINGSTON, Jamaica — An elderly man who was before the court for almost two years on rape charges was freed when he appeared in the Home Circuit Court last week Friday.

The man, Engleston Payne, was charged with two counts of rape and one count of grievous sexual assault in July 2017.

When the matter was called up last week Payne was freed after DNA tests excluded him as the individual who had sexual intercourse with the complainant.

The crown indicated to the court that the results of the test severely impeached the complainant’s credibility and were unable to mount a successful prosecution.

As a result they offered no evidence and a formal verdict of not guilty was entered. Payne was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Demetrie Adams.

In the meantime, Adams has renewed his call to the Government to put legislation in place to punish complainants who blatantly lie to the police especially in cases concerning sexual offenses.

Adams noted that while he is happy for his client, he also sympathises with him as Payne is seen as a leader in his community and he would have suffered reputational damage and incurred legal expenses.

Racquel Porter