Accused child rapist found not guilty

Haisai Jones, a Sophia resident who had been facing three counts of raping a 14-year-old girl, was discharged last week after a jury returned not-guilty verdicts on all charges.
The jury acquitted Jones of the first two counts of engaging in sexual penetration with the child, which allegedly occurred on March 7 and 8, 2023. On the third count, due to a lack of evidence being presented, Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus directed the jury to deliver a not guilty verdict.

The case had drawn significant attention since the police issued a wanted bulletin for Jones in June of this year. After evading authorities for months, Jones was apprehended in October at Kairuni Backdam, along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Taneisha Saygon and Padma Dubraj, argued that Jones demonstrated a pattern of predatory behaviour. They relied on testimony and evidence to establish their claims of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. However, defence attorney Adrian Thompson countered by questioning the reliability of the witnesses and highlighting gaps in the evidence.
Justice Isaacs-Marcus’s summation, delivered just before jury deliberations, provided a comprehensive analysis of the evidence and legal standards. The jury concluded that the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof. (G9)