Man found not guilty of attempted rape

A 27-year old man accused of attempting to rape an elderly disabled woman at knifepoint was yesterday unanimously acquitted following a short trial at the Supreme Court.

The jury of six women and three men took less than an hour to find the defendant not guilty of attempted rape and trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to a third charge of being in possession of a knife in a public place, and will be sentenced for that offence on November 17.

After the verdict was announced and the jury dismissed, the defendant indicated through his lawyer, Elliott Phillips, that he would be seeking bail.

“Don’t bother,” came the reply from the Chief Justice, Anthony Dudley, who added that it would be refused.

Mr Justice Dudley said the case was “littered with aggravating features” and that the defendant, who has already spent eight months on remand, was looking at a “significant custodial sentence” for possession of the knife.

The maximum sentence for this offence is four years.

It was therefore not appropriate to grant bail at this juncture, the judge told the court.

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