By Latrishka Thomas
Chaos erupted at the High Court on Thursday when a man lunged at and threatened a juror moments after his family member was convicted of rape.
In the trial of Dequan Yearwood, the jury returned an 8-1 guilty verdict on the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
The family, who was not pleased with the verdict, had to be removed from the building due to the behaviour.
A family member of the accused reportedly approached a juror, put his hand in the juror’s face, and made what could be perceived as a threat.
Police chased him down and arrested him.
According to the case facts, the complainant, who has a learning disability and is developmentally delayed by about three years, was 14 years old at the time of the incident which occurred in January 2022.
The victim was found in the defendant’s apartment. When the defendant eventually opened the door, the young girl was seen fixing her clothes while the defendant stood by the bed.
The incident came to light when the complainant’s mother overheard her other children discussing it and questioned the complainant, who confirmed what happened.
The defendant initially denied the allegation but after a short trial in the High Court, a jury determined that he was in fact guilty.
He will be sentenced on December 13.
