Cop and girlfriend face jail for sexual assault

| 15/09/2022 | 29 Comments
Antonio O’Neal Marshall (photo courtesy of Cayman Marl Road)

(CNS): Antonio O’Neal Marshall, a former officer with the RCIPS and his girlfriend, Ericka McFarlane Lynch, who were convicted earlier this year of indecent assault, are both facing jail time after appearing in court on Thursday for sentencing. The prosecution argued that their offending fell into the highest category. Marshall and Lynch were found guilty of tricking a friend of Lynch into a situation where she was assaulted by the couple in what they had claimed was a consensual sexual encounter in their car.

Marshall, originally from Barbados, was accused of performing oral sex and Lynch of foundling the breasts of the woman, who was once a close friend. In a report read by the crown counsel, the court heard that since the incident in April last year, the victim was still suffering from fear and anxiety and felt betrayed by her friend. According to the crown’s case, text messages had revealed that Lynch had organised the sexual encounter as a birthday gift for Marshall.

The victim had been reluctant to come forward and had not reported the assault directly to the police, but she did tell a close friend who happened to be a police officer and she made the report. After a difficult time in court under cross-examination, the woman had come close to withdrawing and has indicated she had been severely traumatized by the entire experience.

The crown said there were a number of aggravating factors in the case, including a degree of planning by the couple, the fact that it took place in a moving car, leaving the victim no means of escape, and a breach of trust, given that the victim and Lynch were close friends. Marshall was a police officer at the time so he “should have known better”, the prosecutor said, and while he was in a position of general trust, he was off duty when the offence took place and was a stranger to the victim.

Although Lynch and Marshall are both of previous good character, they are facing significant jail time as a result of the high degree of culpability they had in the commission of the crime and the relatively high harm caused by their actions.

Following the conviction of the couple in May, the RCIPS confirmed that Marshall had been suspended from his job, but did not at that point appear to have been fired. CNS contacted the RCIPS about his employment status, and since this story was posted officials have confirmed that Marshall was fired on 27 May. The police have also denied that Marshall was in the firearms response despite that being noted in one of the court hearings.

Justice Marlene Carter, who is presiding over the case, will deliver her ruling at a later date.


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Category: Courts, Crime

Comments (29)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    And will we be sending these criminals home after serving their sentences? Or will we be keeping them for “nation building purposes?!

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  2. shacka banks says:

    and these are the guys on the Firearms Response Unit…Good Lord. World Class embarrassment.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    No means No! guys get it in your heads! i am very cautious who i go with and any hint of hesitance/problems…i back off completely…No means No!

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  4. Anonymous says:

    dumb leading the dumb and we pay for all this S$#@!

    47
  5. Anonymous says:

    Never in the history of these islands have so many law enforcement officials been involved in criminal matters and activity Yet the governing power who responsibility it is to keep law order is continuing this very idiotic and dangerous policy of recruiting personnel from jurisdictions where serious criminality and corruption are rife and expecting different outcome when they come to these shores. Then on top of that obstructing and frustrating efforts to deport some of the most and extremely dangerous foreign elements in our society from these islands. But on the other have no problem transferring our own own dangerous criminal elements to the motherland for Safe keeping / incarceration! This does not make sense at all

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    • Anonymous says:

      Dump them all and get UK/Canadian cops in. The difference would be immeasurable. No one getting a ‘bligh’. No school/family/business ties getting in the way. Without fear or favour just as Peel wanted it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      “Never in the history of these islands have so many law enforcement officials been involved in criminal matters and activity”

      I beg to differ; its being going on forever; the only difference is there are far more ways for them to be caught in 2022 with such tools as social media at everybody’s disposal.

      It therefore appears to be new behaviors, but its not, they just can’t get away with it as easy as they used to.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    What’s good for Mac and Andrew should be good for everyone else.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Is the girlfriend also a civil servant on full pay and benefits?

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Wasnt there another incident with inappropriate relationship with a witness protection Officer and female witness some time ago?

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  9. Flabbergasted. says:

    Exactly what does a Govt employee have to do to lose their salary and their job?. They were convicted on May 10th this year, and a sentencing hearing scheduled for July 15th. For some unexplained reason the hearing was delayed until Sep 8th and now we hear “the sentencing will be delivered at a “later” date”. In the meantime they are “on holiday”, still not been dismissed and are still receiving their full salaries. Only in Cayman!.

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