-after almost 5 years in jail

Nigel Kissoon on Wednesday walked out of the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court a free man after having served four years and 10 months in prison charged with five offences. He was found guilty of one offence.

Kissoon, 37, of First Alley, Wismar, Linden was charged jointly with Richard Ward for three of the offences. Magistrate Ann McLennan read the charges of two counts of robbery under arms, wrongful restraint for ransom, indecent exposure and buggery to Kissoon. He was accused of wrongfully restraining three persons on July 18, 2005 at Rockstone, with the intention of holding them for a ransom of $500,000.

Kissoon was also accused of exposing his penis to one of the three, robbing him of five gold rings valued at $30,000 and of buggering another and robbing him of a gold chain valued $3,000.

Kissoon pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. He was subsequently found guilty of indecent exposure, was reprimanded and discharged, considering the time he had already served.

On May 24, 2006, Richard Ward, who was charged with Kissoon for the robberies and kidnapping, was granted $125, 000 bail. On Wednesday, he was freed of all the charges as a result of no case submissions.