Former Bishops’ High School teacher, Coen Jackson, now faces a retrial after a jury was unable to arrive at a verdict on three of the four counts against him, of engaging in sexual activity with a child back in 2011.
The jury was deadlocked in a proportion of nine not guilty—and three guilty.
He has, however, been acquitted on the fourth count in a proportion of 11 to 1.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry who presided over the trial informed Jackson that while he has been acquitted on the fourth count, he will be notified by the Director of Public Prosecutions as to when he would be retried on the other three charges.
The indictments which the ex-teacher still faces, now state that on three separate occasions—in February, March and April of 2011—he engaged in sexual activity with the then 16-year-old girl by abusing a position of trust.
He was charged with sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, contrary to Section 18 (3) (b) (ii) of the Sexual Offences Act; which defines a child for the purposes of that offence, as being under 18 years.
The prosecution’s facts allege that the abuse of the young lady who was at the time preparing to write her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, began when the teacher invited her over to his house under the pretext of watching a movie.
That film, prosecutors said, actually turned out to be pornography.
On that and the other two occasions, the Court heard that Jackson sexually assaulted the young lady at his house.
The trial proceedings were heard in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
Jackson was represented by defence attorneys Nigel Hughes, Jerome Khan and Savannah Barnwell.
The State’s case, meanwhile, was led by Ali, in association with state counsel Nafeeza Baig and Latifah Elliot.
