Ex-soldier accused of rape freed due to insufficient evidence

Ex-soldier Winston Haynes was on Monday freed of a rape charge after Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall upheld a no-case submission made by defence attorney, Ravindra Mohabir.

Ruling that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient, the judge ordered the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty, thereby setting Haynes free.

Haynes denied raping a 21-year-old woman on January 27, 2017, at Army Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

News Room previously reported that Haynes, along with three Privates from the GDF, were dismissed from the job for bringing the law enforcement body into disrepute.

An inquiry by the Army had found that it was Haynes who raped the woman while the three others failed to stop the incident.

However, Haynes denied committing the act and was out on $600,000 bail.