By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

AN 18-YEAR-OLD girl left a courtroom in tears yesterday crying in anguish after the man accused of sexually assaulting her was acquitted.

A nine-member jury found Leroy Adderley, 48, not guilty of sexually assaulting the girl when she was aged 12 at a vacation Bible school.

The foreman’s announcement of the 6-3 not guilty verdict was met with three seconds of silence before the virtual complainant left the courtroom crying at the outcome.

Her mother was inches behind her trying to give encouraging words of hope to the girl who screamed “NO! NO! NO!” at the outcome.

As the screaming quietened down outside the court there was still silence in the courtroom itself before Justice Vera Watkins dismissed the jury and thanked them for their services.

Both the prosecution and defence declined to comment on the outcome which saw Leroy Adderley, a handyman, acquitted of the charge.

Mr Adderley, who was represented by Romona Farquharson-Seymour, had denied the charge and pleaded not guilty.

It was claimed that on July 30, 2007, he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in a church bathroom.

On Monday, the girl, now 18, claimed she was asked by Leroy Adderley to go to the receptionist’s desk of the church to answer phone calls.

She said she followed him from an activity centre, down towards that area, before being told they would go into a kitchen.

Then, the complainant had alleged, Leroy Adderley pulled her from the kitchen into the woman’s restroom and sexually assaulted her.

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour suggested to the complainant that she was not telling the truth.

Leroy Adderley had denied the allegations during a police interview.

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour submitted that the complainant’s evidence of the alleged sexual assault did not add up or make sense.

The judge excused the Supreme Court six-woman, three-man jury at 1pm yesterday and they returned at 3.14pm.

The foreman announced the verdict a minute later.