Amongst the first to be brought before the Kingstown based High Court, in this the new Law Term, to answer to criminal charges laid against them was Kesron Jacobs.
Jacobs appeared before the Court without a lawyer and indicated to Justice Brian Cottle that he had no plans to get one.
Justice Cottle then informed the accused of the one third sentencing discount which is activitated once the defendant enters a guilty plea at the first opportunity. Cottle also informed Jacobs that the information given was shared only for sharing sake and without intent to prejudice his answers when the indictments were laid.
Jacobs was later slapped with six charges relating to the alleged rape of a minor. The Court heard that between August 31st 2017 and 1st October 2017 Jacobs engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse with the alleged victim who at the time of said intercourse did not consent to it. He pleaded not guilty.
To the second charge of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 on the same dates he also pleaded not guilty.
The third count of his indictment named him as having had sex with the minor on other unspecified occasions than the listed dates.To this charge he also pleaded not guilty.
On count four (4) he was duly charged that on the aforementioned dates he did indecently assaulted the child “she being a girl under the age of 15 years.” Jacobs again pleaded not guilty.
Jacobs’ fifth count was for attempted rape which he is alleged to have perpetuated on October 6th 2017 at the Village where they both live and where he’s alleged to have committed the other offences. The same minor is said to be the victim of this attack. Kesron pleaded not guilty as well to this charge.
Following his 6th and final not guilty plea which was entered in answer of the charge that he, intent on assaulting the same minor, did burglarize property, in that same village, Justice Brian Cottle enquired as to the defendant’s trial readiness.
Jacobs responded “yes please,” when asked if he was ready to proceed with the matter. As an apparent test of his proclaimed readiness Justice Cottle quizzed the young defendant “Do you know the maximum penalty for rape and the maximum penalty for having sex with a girl under the age of 13 is sentence of up to life in prison if convicted?”
“Well now yo explain I understand,” Kesron told the High Court Judge.
“These are very serious offences,” Justice Brian Cottle told him. “Are you sure you don’t want to get a lawyer?”
“No please, ”Kesron responded.
Citing the backlog as a major part of his decision to traverse Jacob’s day in Court into the next Assizes, Cottle further suggested to the accused “…It’s a very good idea for you to try to get a lawyer to represent you in these matters. You are entitled to represent yourself if you so want but representing yourself in a criminal matter such as this, in my experience, is never a good idea.
My suggestion to you, you don’t have to take it, is that you consider getting youself a lawyer to represent you in these matters.” The matter was subsequently adjourned with the date to be affixed for sometime in the next round of High Court hearings, set for just after Easter. Jacobs’ bail continues until then.