KELVIN Henry on Friday walked out of the Sexual Offences Court, a free man, after the 12-member jury was directed by the judge to return a not-guilty verdict.

The 24-year-old man was being tried for the offence of raping a child under 16.
The indictment reads that on April 8, 2011, Henry sexually penetrated a 10-year-old girl in Port Kaituma; he was 16 years old at the time
The trial started early this week, with state prosecutors Lisa Cave and Seeta Bishundial presenting the case before the jury. However, after the close of the prosecution’s case on Friday, defence attorney Ravindra Mohabir made a no-case submission to Justice Brassington Reynolds. Justice Reynolds upheld Mohabir’s submission, agreeing that the state did not establish a prima facie case.

The judge then directed the jury to return a non-guilty verdict, as a result of which Henry walked free.