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case dismissed
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The case against the two men charged with assaulting a cross-dressing teen who is alleged to be gay has been dismissed.

The development came just under a month after the prosecution withdrew a fraud charge against the same youth, who they claimed defrauded a South Rivers man by representing himself as a female to him.

Kadir Nedd, a 25-year-old schoolteacher and Ezra Cruickshank, a 35-year-old entertainer, both of South Rivers, were charged that on April 7, at South Rivers, they assaulted Leswan Stewart, 17, of Edinboro, by slapping him about his face and hitting him in his head with their hands.

The men pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were arraigned before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court in late April and were granted bail.

The matter came up for hearing several times at the Colonarie Magistrate Court, sitting at Georgetown, with the virtual complainant being absent on each occasion.

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When the matter was called before the same court on June 20, the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police John Ballah, informed the court that the Stewart has never attended the hearing.

The prosecution told the court that Stewart had been informed of that day’s hearing.

He told the court that do as it wishes with the matter.

Lawyer Grant Connell, who appeared for the first time on behalf of the defendants, told the court he has no objection with the prosecutor’s position.

Connell said that “maybe the VC has other alternatives and is busy”, hence his non-appearance in court.

The lawyer’s comment evoked come chuckling among persons who had come to observe the court proceedings or had matters before the court.

The magistrate, Bertie Pompey then dismissed the matter against the defendants, who left the courtroom hastily.

The beating of Stewart gained national attention when a video was circulated on social media in April.

In the video, Stewart is seen walking along the public road in South Rivers with a mob following him, some of whom hurled insults while others inflicted blows.

Stewart was able to escape when a passing car stopped and picked him up.