Taxi driver found guilty of rape

In the Supreme Court, a jury of seven women and two men deliberated for about two hours today before they found thirty-nine year old taxi driver, Levi Jackson, guilty of raping a thirty year old mother of four. The trial Judge, Justice Oswell Legall, adjourned sentencing to this coming Friday to give Jackson, who appeared unrepresented, time to prepare a mitigation plea and to call character witnesses. The incident happened in August 2007 when the woman, a former employee of Old Belize, left work at about nine o’clock. The woman was by the roadside when Jackson stopped for her in a red Toyota Camry car and offered a ride. In court the woman testified that she accepted the ride because she recognized Jackson as a former co-worker. But according to the woman instead of taking her home at Mile Eight, Jackson took her to a feeder road and began to beat her when she refused to have sex with him. She said Jackson punched her in the mouth and on her jaw and threatened to shoot and injure her and that he took off her uniform and raped her.
Jackson admitted that he was with the woman but denied he raped her. When asked if he needed to call any witnesses, Jackson said that his only witness is God but the trial Judge said it was not possible to call God to the stand. At one point Jackson became so agitated that two police officers went by his side while he was in the witness stand just in case force was needed to subdue him.
The prosecution was represented by Crown Counsel Cecil Ramirez.