After a three-day trial and testimony from 18 witnesses, Crown prosecutors were unable to link Gerard Huggins to the short-lived but violent break-in at the Road Town Police Station on Nov. 24, 2010. Mr. Huggins, who was accused of being the getaway driver, let out a sigh of relief when the case against him was dropped in High Court yesterday.
“None of the witnesses were able to identify the accused,” said Justice Albert Redhead, as he mulled over the evidence. “There were clearly suspicious circumstances in this case, but mere suspicion cannot show guilt.”
Mr. Redhead said he informed prosecutors before the case began that they lacked sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Huggins, and that the case was “a waste of my time, a waste of the jury’s time, and a waste of the taxpayer’s time.”
He announced his decision to withhold the defence’s no-case submission, then instructed a nine-member jury to acquit Mr. Huggins.
See the May 17, 2012 edition for full coverage.
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