A procedural mix-up by police investigators has earned Albert Guy his freedom.
Last October a jury convicted the taxi man for the forcible abduction, threat of death, and harm of University of Belize student Tracy Gillet and he was sentenced to 8 years in jail. But 9 months later, Guy is a free man after the court of appeals today quashed his conviction.
Guy's attorney Hubert Elrington told the court that conviction should be thrown out because the identification parade was unfair to his client. Unfair because Elrington claims Guy was the only East Indian in the line-up. Admitting the slip-up, DPP Kirk Anderson told the court he would give Guy a new trial. But Appeals Judge Elliot Mottley didn't want to hear it; he said there can be no second chance to identify guy. With that, the appeal was allowed, the conviction was quashed, and the sentence was set aside with no opportunity for a retrial.
In the Incident that made headlines on October 31st of 2000, Tracy Gillet was waiting for a bus by the Palotti junction when she was kidnapped. Guy was attempting to rape and through sheer strength she fought him off and jumped out of the moving vehicle. A bus driver came to her aid and beat Guy. Guy had also fled Belize while he was awaiting trial.