Attorney OJ Elrington will stand trial in the High Court for rape. That was the decision of senior magistrate Aretha Ford today at his preliminary inquiry.
Elrington was represented by his father, Hubert - while the DPP, Cheryl Lynn Vidal represented the crown.
The younger Elrington made arguments in his own defense saying that his rights as a defendant were violated when the DPP got directly involved in the investigation. He claimed to have material evidence which would prove impropriety and abuse of the office of the DPP.
He asked the Magistrate to dismiss the case because of the abuse of process.
His attorney, Hubert Elrington argued that the prosecution had withheld certain key evidence including a sobriety test on the alleged victim. The victim claims that she was under the influence when Elrington had sex with her to which she gave no consent.
But after hearing arguments from the accused and his attorney, followed by counter arguments from the DPP - the Senior Magistrate Ford ruled that she cannot make any determination on the alleged abuse of process. With that she committed him to stand trial for rape in the high court starting on October second, 2024.
We spoke to the DPP outside the courtroom:
Jules Vasquez
"Objections were dismissed basically and that its going to trial in the high court."
Cheryl Lynn Vidal, DPP
"We didn't think that there was any likelihood that he would not have been committed to stand trial."
Reporter
"Madam DPP in a case like this wouldn't have been important to conduct a sobriety test?"
Cheryl Lynn Vidal, DPP
"I really don't want to go into the facts of the case but this report was made some days after the incident. And so by the time it had come to the attention of the police, it really would not have made much sense."
Jules Vasquez
"You were accused in there of being both his Majesty's prosecutor and the investigator. He said that his rights were breached because you overstepped the boundaries of your office to actually make calls and speak with his accusers."
"What would you say in response to that? Did you overstep the boundaries?"
Cheryl Lynn Vidal, DPP
"I most certainly did not and I would imagine that that is an issue that will be addressed at the High Court. I look forward to it."
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