Defence seeking pregnancy report of abortion
IN a confession statement ruled by the trial judge in the Bee Hive rape case to have been obtained freely and voluntarily, accused Tyronne Mortley had said, “I paid $6,000 to the girl for sex.” “After we agreed, I went into the bushes, not far from where her parents lived at Non Pariel.
“She joined me in the bushes where we had sex. I never had sex with her again. I was not the first man she had,” the accused is reported to have told Inspector Noland Burnett.
Burnett was investigating a report about statutory rape where a 14 year old girl of Bee Hive was allegedly induced into a clump of bushes where she was sexually assaulted.
The accused was charged with having carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 14, an offence which does not recognize the question of consent.
But the accused, represented by lawyer Mr. Compton Richardson, has pleaded not guilty and is contending that the police inspector, who took the alleged caution statement, did not represent what the accused actually said.
The accused is also saying in his statement that the father of the girl later told him that the victim was two months pregnant and had gone to Mahaica where she had an abortion.
The matter had reached a stage where the police were involved and the girl had to be taken to hospital, where she had to be seen and treated by a doctor for the abortion.
It was brought out in evidence that the girl was a favourite among the boys of her school, and that since the exposure of the pregnancy and abortion, she was transferred to another school.
During the trial yesterday, leading prosecutor Mrs. Teshana James-Lake had closed her case following the testimony of Inspector Noland Burnett who had taken the caution statement from the accused.
But Defence counsel Richardson who is contending that the confession statement was obtained by means  of questions and answers, which the Inspector denied, called on the judge to compel the prosecutor to produce certain books from Clonbrook Police Station, through the  Inspector, and to have the doctor produce the medical report of the girl.
Richardson’s request for the prosecution to submit the medical report is based on the ground that the report would show the presence of another person effecting the pregnancy, and not the accused.
Justice Winston Patterson, who had ruled that the statement was free and voluntary, granted the request by Mr.  Richardson, and directed that the necessary steps be taken to have the book and the medical report presented on Monday when the trial continues.