Judge Nelson Chinneh of Criminal Court B acquitted an American Missionary, Lucas Richards, for answering to the charges of Aggravated Assault and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder as was charged by the Government of Liberia.
According to Judge Chinneh on April 17, 2024 said “It is the ruling of this court that considering the fact, circumstances and the laws controlling, the defendant is hereby adjudged not guilty of the crimes of Aggravated Assault and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder. The defendant is hereby ordered discharged from ever answering these charges and his bail bond, if any, ordered return.”
Defendant Richards was indicted by the Government of Liberia for Aggravated Assault and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder.
The indictment stated that on September 14, 2023, the defendant injected and dosed the private proscutrix, Jessica Lloyd with an unknown substance with an intent to abort her three months pregnancy.
The state further alleged in the indictment that the defendant having noticed that the private proscutrix was helpless and weak as a result of the dosed and injection, took advantage of her around the Palm Farm Community, Township of Dixville, Montserrado County with criminal intent and struck Jessica Lloyd on her forehead.
In defense of his judgment, Judge Chinneh said it is not disputed that Jessica Lloyd sustained injuries on September 14, 2023, while she was out with Defendant Richards for a ride. He added that the place and time when the injuries were sustained are also not disputed.
The Judge further stated that the only unanswered question is who inflicted the wounds on the victim, Jessica Lloyd?
However, Judge Chinneh noted that during the trial of the case, there were claims and counter claims which require thorough investigation by the court.
One of such said claims according to Judge Chinneh, is that the state alleged that the wounds were inflicted by the defendant, while the defendant, as well as some of the angry crowd are alleging that the wounds were inflicted by another person.
According to Judge Chinneh, the evidence before the court speaks to two persons been beaten by the angry crowd, defendant Lucas Richards and Ernest Philip .
At the same time, the Judge also said Ernest Philip accused defendant Lucas Richards of the being the perpetrator of the crimes.
The Judge further ruled that Jessica Lloyd, who testified as general witness told the court that she went off when she was hit and never knew that she was wounded.
“It was only Lucas and I in the car and he asked to help him fix the back tire, while helping him, he hit me from the back of my head and when I fell to the ground trying to wake up and defendant Richards pushed me back to the ground and he started to slay my neck and now you can see the mark on my throat, and if he is saying that I was hit by a motorbike, why my legs are not broken, why I was not treated for any bruises on my skin, there is no mark on my skin and if he says it is motorbike what is he still saying to his lawyers for us to come to his office to give us the amount of US$10,000, that is a wicked man and he wanted to kill me like chicken, he is worse than the devil,” Jessica told the court in her testimony.
But addressing himself to Jessica statements, the judge explained that a victim who was unaware of happening around her to become accounting for things that happened to her while she was still in her state of unconsciousness, is unusual.
“Secondly, she claimed that there was no motorbike at the scene of the crimes before and after the commission of the crimes. Contrary to her assertion, the other state witnesses, Ida Jackson Blamo and Ernest Philip testified to the effect that witness Ernest Philip got on a bike to chase after defendant Richards escaped from the scene,” the Judge said.
“This evidence out weight all other evidence speaking contrary, more especially in the absence of any evidence that this admission was made under circumstances manifesting threat, fear or inducement. If it is argued that she was unconscious and therefore her testimony need not to be credited then whose testimony will corroborate witness Ernest Philip testimony,” he wondered adding “Generally, hearsay evidence is not admissible.”
