By Latrishka Thomas
A businessman is now on remand at His Majesty’s Prison after being convicted of two counts of indecent assault, stemming from an incident that occurred on a rainy day in February 2022.
Prakashcandra Lohar was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict on two of three indecent assault charges.
The charges arose from an encounter where Lohar offered the complainant a ride when it was raining on February 12, 2022.
According to evidence presented by Prosecutor Curtis Cornelius, what began as an apparent act of kindness devolved into unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate touching during the journey.
The jury, however, remained divided on the first count, which alleged Lohar forced the victim to touch his genitals. This charge resulted in a split 6-2 decision.
Defence counsel Wendel Alexander had challenged the prosecution’s case by highlighting inconsistencies in the victim’s accounts. The court heard that details provided to police differed from both courtroom testimony and a subsequent media interview.
Specifically, the complainant’s testimony about the accused masturbating during the incident was apparently absent from her initial police statement, while a later newspaper interview claimed this act occurred “in her face”.
Lohar will face sentencing on December 2 for the two proven charges of indecent assault.
