A 37-year-old farmer, was, on Monday, freed of a rape charge by the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court, after a jury returned a not-guilty verdict.

Eric Scotland of Cottage, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara was on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds for allegedly engaging in sexual penetration with a 13-year-old girl on November 27, 2016.

The jury, after deliberating for almost two hours, found Scotland not guilty of the offence.
Scotland was represented by attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva while the state was represented by prosecutors, Nafeeza Baig and Sarah Martin.

Justice Reynolds told Scotland to consider it a second chance and that he must use the opportunity to avoid finding himself in similar situations and before the court.