Accused admits to rape charge mid trial

Four days after a jury began hearing evidence in his trial, an accused man caved and admitted to raping an underage girl.

Moments after a state witness gave testimony last Thursday, Sergeo Olivia Payne, who was self-represented, was re-arraigned and pleaded guilty that between October 17, 2018, and December 31, 2018, he had sexual intercourse with a girl who had not yet reached age 16, the age of consent.

The eight-woman, one-man jury was directed by Justice Wanda Blair to return a formal verdict of guilty.

Payne, a resident of Tamarind Road, Wavell Avenue, Black Rock, St Michael, remains on bail, and the case was adjourned until September 18.

The court heard that Payne was a family friend who, one morning, as the complainant was making her way to school, stopped to give her a ride to the bus stop. 

She got in the vehicle, but instead of taking her to catch the bus, Payne drove to a wooden house and, even as she told him to stop, raped her. Afterwards, he dropped her at a bus stop, and she headed to school. She also outlined another instance when Payne raped her in her home and made her take a pregnancy test afterwards. She was 14 at the time of the incidents.

The complainant confided in two friends about what was happening but asked them not to reveal it to anyone. She later wrote an essay about what occurred and handed it to a teacher at her school, who reported it to the guidance counsellor.

She also recalled her mother appearing at the school a few weeks later and taking her to a police station and a doctor.