–after spending seven years in the ‘pen’

RAPE accused, Clevon Forde, will have to be retried, after a 12-member jury failed to reach a verdict on Thursday.
Forde, 34, of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, was on trial before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Georgetown, for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl between May 24 and 25, 2014. He’d initially pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was represented by Attorney-at-law Rachael Bakker. The State was represented by prosecutors Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig.
However, seeing that the jury was unable to reach a verdict, Forde will have to be retried at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes, and will remain on bail.
According to reports, the victim was at the Amelia’s Ward car park in Linden when she came into contact with Forde.
After having a conversation, the pair decided to go to a club, and the victim got into the back seat of Forde’s motorcar.
However, when they arrived at the club, Forde got into the back seat with the victim and began touching her breasts, buttocks and vagina. When the victim told him to stop and pushed him off, Forde allegedly got back into the driver’s seat and drove to the Kara Kara back road, where he proceeded to rape her. When the victim got home and told her aunt what happened, the matter was reported to the police, and Forde was later arrested and charged for the offence.