By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Staff Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ARTHUR Damien Brown is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl and then offering to pay $15,000 to the parents not to pursue any police action, a court prosecutor said in her closing arguments on Thursday.
Lead prosecutor Erica Culmer-Curry urged the jury of four men and five women not to let Brown walk free for sexually assaulting and taking away the innocence of a “good girl”.
Brown, who was 49 years old, was staying with the virtual complainant’s family when the alleged incident occurred in 2018.
It is alleged that on September 30, 2018, the accused went into the girl’s bedroom and raped her. According to the court evidence, the accused touched the minor on her breasts and vagina and performed oral sex without her consent. He also allegedly attempted to have sexual intercourse with the minor.
Attorney Ernie Wallace, who is defending Brown, denied the allegations. He said it is a case where it is his client’s words against the girl’s.
In his record of interview presented as evidence during the trial, Brown told police that the teen made advances towards him and he pushed her away and went to sleep. He claimed she had kissed him and that he kissed her back, and pushed her off.
Prosecutor Culmer-Curry said that story and suggestions that someone else may have committed the rape are lies and stories made up by the defence.
She reminded the jury of the girl’s evidence: that she saw the defendant’s face from the light outside, she heard his voice, the shape of his body, and he had identified himself to her after coming into her bedroom on the night in question.
In her evidence, she said she told Brown to stop and leave her room. He told her to keep quiet. She was afraid and struggled with him. The sexual assault lasted for about 25 minutes. After he left, the girl went to her parents’ room and told them what happened.
Prosecutor Culmer-Curry said the teen was traumatised and continues to have flashbacks of the incident. She also noted that photos taken as evidence that were kept in police custody were destroyed during Hurricane Dorian.
“He damaged her … he sexually abused her,” she said.
Justice Andrew Forbes will give his directions to the jury at 10.30am on Friday.
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