Rape accused to face retrial after jury fails to reach verdict

A man accused of raping another man has been found not guilty on one count, but has to await a retrial for the second count, after the jury was unable to reach a verdict following deliberations on Tuesday.

Ryan Guyandat had been on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a mixed 12-member jury at the Sexual Offences Court for two counts of rape committed on a man on October 4, 2020. After almost two hours of discussions, the jury panel was unable to arrive at a verdict on the first count, and as such, Guyandat will have to be retried for the offence at a date to be decided by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
On the second count of rape, in which he is accused of causing a third party to penetrate the virtual complainant (VC), the accused was found not guilty, and accordingly was discharged.
According to the prosecution’s facts, the complainant and Guyandat are known to each other. At around 22:00h on the day in question, the VC was making his way home when he was confronted by Guyandat and two men who were on a bicycle. It is alleged that the accused then dragged the VC into an abandoned building, where he and another man (acting on his direction) raped the complainant.
State Counsels Cicelia Corbin, Caressa Henry, and Marisa Edwards prosecuted the matter, while Guyandat was represented by Attorney-at-Law Tracy Marks. (G1)