Court directs Webster to answer charges at next hearing

Errington Webster

(CNS): A former senior fire officer and political candidate accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl was told by a court that when he returns at the end of the month he must answer the four charges against him. Errington Webster, from Bodden Town, made his third appearance in court Monday morning after his very public arrest and charges over the indecent assault allegations. However, the case was adjourned as his attorney, Steve McField, said he had still not received a copy of the video that was widely publicised ahead of Webster’s arrest.

At Webster’s last appearance the magistrate had ordered that the defense was to get a copy of the video, but McField said he had still not been given a copy of the video that had been seen by “every Tom, Dick and Harry …. and Mary and Jane”, and was very upset that the court order had been ignored.

McField accepted that the crown had offered to allow him to view the video at the prosecution office, but he insisted that for obvious reasons he and his client needed their own copy.

The crown had indicated some issues regarding the format of the video, which had resulted in the failure to serve McField with a copy, but said it would be ready for him within seven days.

The video was widely circulated on social media, which led to an investigation into the one-time independent candidate for Bodden Town and a political hopeful with the UDP at the next elections until he was forced out of the runnings following the charges.

Magistrate Philippa McFarlane accepted that McField should get a copy but said that viewing the video at the prosecution’s office could have been sufficient for Webster’s arraignment and to answer the charges, as the footage refers to only one of the counts.

Following a heated exchange between the magistrate and the veteran defence lawyer, the case was adjourned and Webster was bailed to a doorstep curfew at an address in North Side until 30 August.