Policeman appealing rape conviction of schoolgirl denied bail

The Court of Appeal last week turned down a bail application for 50-year-old policeman Leslie Walker who was convicted of rape involving a schoolgirl.

He was sentenced in July last year to 15 years in prison.

Walker was ordered to serve 10 years before he can be eligible for parole.

Walker, who joined the police force in 1997, had made the bail application on the basis that the verdict of the judge was unreasonable having regard to all the evidence. 

He is contending that his appeal has a real prospect of success.

King's Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Jacqueline Cummings had argued that there were exceptional circumstances in Walker's case in which he should be granted bail pending the hearing of his appeal.

They submitted that “there was no evidence that another person may have fathered the complainant's child. The prosecution should have established that the complainant was not intimate with any other person.”

It was also submitted that Walker was of good character and there was the likelihood that he might serve the greater portion of his sentence before the appeal is heard.

The complainant had testified that at the time of the incident in February 2016 she was a nine grade student at a high school.

She was dressed in her school uniform and was awaiting transportation to school when Walker, who was a friend of her father, offered her a ride.

He drove to his house, invited her inside and then raped her.
The matter was not reported to the police until June 2016.

Following a medical examination, it was discovered that the complainant was pregnant.

By agreement, DNA results excluding Walker as the putative father of the child, who was then four years old, was tendered into evidence.

Walker, who is the father of four children, two of whom are minors, had denied the allegations and said he did not see the complainant on the day of the incident.

He said on the day and time of the alleged sexual assault he was at home getting ready to attend a firearm training course at the Jamaica Police Academy.

A police officer testified for the defence that Walker was at the training course.

Crown Counsel Renelle Morgan opposed the bail application and said no exceptional circumstances were advanced for bail to be granted.

Acting Court of Appeal Judge Evan Brown, in denying bail, said '“while there have been inordinate delays between conviction and the hearing of an appeal in the past, there is no reason to think such a delay will bedevil this appeal.”

- Barbara Gayle

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