Court of Appeal order retrial in carnal knowledge case

Turning to the Court of Appeal, today, the decision in the case of Reyes Reymundo was handed down. Reyes had been convicted of the offence of carnal knowledge of a female minor. The child was eleven years of age at the time and he was twenty years of age and employed at a Convent just across from the primary school that the minor attended. His appeal was allowed and today, the court ordered a retrial because it was of the view that the learned trial judge failed to address the jury adequately in relation to certain issues that had arisen during the course of the victim’s testimony and that the conviction therefore was unsafe. As a result, Reymundo will be retried in the November sitting of the Supreme Court in its Southern Jurisdiction. He is to remain on remand pending the re-trial. Elsewhere in the courts, Flavio Sandoval, a resident of Belmopan, who was charged for possession of thirty-four grams of cannabis, pleaded guilty and was fined eight hundred dollars to be paid by November thirtieth or in default will spend eight months in prison. Rafael Perez of Santa Elena Town, who was charged for being in possession of over one thousand four hundred grams of cannabis, pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced and fined ten thousand eight hundred dollars. He was charged along with Jason Gabourel, Luis Chata, Derrick Bradley, Gian Trapp and Victor Spain. They all pleaded not guilty, were offered bail, and their case was adjourned to November eighth. The four were charged following a search conducted at the home of Spain by the Gang Suppression Unit in which the drugs were found. The largest amount, over one thousand three hundred grams of cannabis, was found in three parcels in the same room where the men were when the Police entered. All four are being represented by attorney Rachel Montejo.