Adonson Dasouza, of Park Hill, spent Christmas free of the worries of a death by dangerous driving charge that had been hanging over his head since 2017.
This after he was found not guilty of vehicular manslaughter when High Court judge, Justice Bryan Cottle directed the jury to do so during a trial at the High Court in Kingstown.
The judge gave the direction after a no-case submission by Dasouza’s lawyer, Ronald “Ronny” Marks.
He was being tried on a charge that on Dec. 27, at Byera, being the driver of motor vehicle PN 854, he caused the death of Crispin Augustus John, 50, by driving the said motor vehicle dangerously.
Dasouza, who was 25 at the time, was driving along the Byera public road sometime around 8:50 p.m. on the date in question when he struck the deceased who was riding a bicycle with no lights.
John had exited the minor road leading from Marstuckey Chicken Shop on to the Windward Highway and into the path of Dasouza’s vehicle.
In making the no case submission, Marks emphasised the physical evidence of the damage to his client’s vehicle.
The damage was to the side and not the front of the vehicle.
Although one prosecution witness had said that the vehicle was travelling at a “fast rate of speed” the judge agreed with the defence that all of the authorities show that speed alone is not sufficient to convict someone of dangerous driving.
The prosecutor, Crown Counsel Rose-Ann Richardson conceded to the no case submission, which the court upheld.
Well, them judges must be fraid of Mr. Marks? Are there no speed limits in SVG? not even when driving in a populated area? People’s lives must be worth more than this. Police and Judiciary must be a f***ing joke in Vincy?