Seaview Gardens woman accused of orchestrating robbery of businessman freed in Gun Court

A Seaview Gardens, St Andrew woman, who was accused of luring a businessman into a bloody ambush and robbery after agreeing to find him a girl for a threesome, was last week freed of gun and robbery charges in the Gun Court.

The New Kingston businessman was shot in the face and robbed of his licensed firearm after he was ambushed in Payneland in St Andrew four years ago.

Defendant Ashley Duggan, 26, also known as Jada, was, however, found not guilty of illegal possession of firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, robbery with aggravation, and wounding with intent, following the conclusion of the trial on Friday before Justice Carolyn Tie-Powell.

The trial started in February 2024.

The prosecution alleged that Duggan lured the complainant to the inner-city community late that night, where he was ambushed by five armed men, stripped of his licensed firearm, and shot in the face on April 23, 2021.

Prosecutors said Duggan, who had met the complainant earlier that day at a bar, intentionally led him into the area with the promise of companionship.

It is alleged that the complainant had approached Duggan and requested that she arrange a threesome, and she agreed.

The court heard that prior to the attack, the complainant had been warned by a man in the area that “di place a run a way.”

But, despite the warning, he exited his vehicle and followed Duggan into a nearby lane, where the brutal assault unfolded.

Ricardo Carter, the man initially charged as the shooter alongside Duggan, was discharged earlier in the proceedings following a successful no-case submission, after the court found that the prosecution failed to make out a proper identification.

In her defence, Duggan denied orchestrating the ambush and maintained she had no knowledge of any plan to harm the complainant.

The presiding judge, after weighing the evidence presented, returned a verdict of not guilty.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Duggan’s attorney, Denise Hinson, emphasised the importance of relying solely on what is presented in court.

“While I feel tremendous sympathy for the complainant, the verdict was appropriate based on the evidence. This case is an excellent demonstration that in a trial, it is the evidence — and only the evidence — that matters,” Hinson said.

- Tanesha Mundle

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