After facing a retrial, interdicted police officer, Wayde Padmore, was yesterday afternoon convicted on one of three sex assault charges—when a jury found him guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a young girl who was fourteen years old at the time.
Padmore shook his head in apparent disbelief after hearing the forewoman announce that he had been found unanimously guilty on the sexual activity charge; but that the panel was deadlocked as to whether he had raped the child; while going on to further unanimously acquit him of causing her to watch him perform a sex act.
The 12-member mixed panel returned with its verdicts following hours of deliberations. It was hung evenly regarding the rape charge levelled against Padmore who appeared visibly distressed after the announcements were made.
Justice Sandil Kissoon informed him that he would be forthwith taken into police custody to await his sentencing which was deferred to November 25th to facilitate the presentation of probation and other social impact reports.
Meanwhile, the Judge told the convict that he would be informed by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), as to when he would be retried for the rape charge.
Padmore was represented by defence attorney Clyde Forde, while the State was represented by prosecutors Cecelia Corbin, Caressa Henry and Paneeta Persaud.
A jury at his first trial earlier this year, was unable to arrive at a verdict on any of the charges against the cop; thus warranting him being retried.
The first count against the now 24-year-old Padmore—for rape of a child under 16 years—alleges that he sexually penetrated the girl who was then thirteen years old, between December 1st and 31st, 2019.
The second count of sexual activity with a child under 16, on which he has now been convicted, stated that he engaged in sexual activity with the girl—between October 1st and 31st, 2020—who at that time was 14 years old.
Meanwhile, the third count on which he was acquitted alleged that he had caused the teen to watch him ejaculate.
Prosecutors say that in December of 2019, he allegedly raped the teen; and then close to a year after— in October 2020— he attempted to rape the child a second time, but after failing, proceeded to masturbate in her presence.
The trial proceedings were heard in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
