‘Fake’ taxi driver acquitted in sex assault case
(CNS): A local man has been acquitted of sexually assaulting a woman who was a passenger in a taxi he was driving in June 2019. Following a trial lasting ten days, Everett Leon Gould (40) was found not guilty of assaulting the female lawyer by six women and one man after around three hours of deliberation.
The woman told the court she was drunk when she was put into the taxi by a friend and fell asleep as she was driven from Seven Mile Beach to the east of George Town. She said she awoke to find the driver sexually assaulting her. Gould, who does not have a taxi licence, denied the allegation, saying it was the woman who had attempted to instigate a sexual encounter with him, which he had rebuffed.
As the members of the jury delivered their verdict, Gould wept with relief before he was released by the judge and hugged by his loved ones, who had been in the court to offer support.
During the trial the jury heard mixed evidence from witnesses about how drunk the complainant was but it was established she had been drinking. The taxi had been called by a friend and it was Gould who answered the call, though it has emerged that he did not have a taxi licence at the time and was driving a vehicle officially registered to his mother.
Gould, who was represented by defence attorney Jonathon Hughes from Samson Law, had said that the woman was not very drunk but she had flirted with him throughout the journey. He said she had not fallen asleep, and while sitting in the back seat she had put her legs on the centre consul and had paid him numerous compliments.
He said that just before arriving at the address he had been told to go take her to, the woman asked him to park by a neighbour’s house. When he got out to open her door, she had pulled him towards her and put her hands down his pants.
When he gave evidence in court he said he had been taken aback for a minute as she touched his penis, but he told her to stop. She did and soon afterwards paid the fare. He claimed that the woman had given him an additional CI$50 over the price and then asked him to be discreet and keep what happened between them.
The woman, however, had refuted the allegation that she had initiated or consented to any sexual encounter with the driver.
She said she woke to find him across her in the back of the car close to her house with his finger inside her vagina. Given her drunken state, she describes touching his penis in order to maneuver him out of the way and allow herself to sit up before telling him to stop, which he did soon afterwards.
When she arrived home the woman had told her husband that she had been assaulted by the cab driver but she did not report the incident to the police for several days. She told the court that as a lawyer she was well aware of the ordeal she would go through if she were to make a report. It was not until speaking to two other lawyers and having considered the danger that the man could pose to other women that she made the report, she said.
At trial the woman had been honest about drinking and having only a vague memory of the sequence of events. She clearly refuted the idea that she had flirted with the man or engaged him in any of conversation. She also denied having paid him over and above the fare to buy his silence.
She said she could not recall how much she gave him but she knew it was over the fare, as she wanted to avoid any dispute. She persistently said that she did not initiate any sexual contact with the man and had been sleeping until she awoke with the assault already underway.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
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- Bored
- Afraid
This starts at home. At school. With mothers and fathers. Teach your boy child to respect women, teach your boy women are not sexual objects and wearing a short skirt, being drunk, alone are not invitations to rape. When she says “no” it is NOT your god given right to take. Mothers time to step up and raise YOUR boy correctly. Take a look at your boy right now and ask yourself if you’re raising him right or are you teaching your daughter how to avoid getting raped instead?
Did you even read the article? He was acquitted.
Not very many people agree with the verdict
So is his mother getting her taxi license suspended/revoked? She clearly knew he was not licensed and allowed him to do so. This was only one time accounted for and God kows how many times she allowed this to happen before and even after this accident! Is the Public Transport Unit going to do anything about this?
It’s a very good question, but the answer is almost certainly no.
This was not his 1st time driving the taxi I can bet on that. But as to your point nothing on the charges of driving it with out a taxi lic. More so would also mean driving it without insurance. As for taxi only person can drive it are the taxi driver named on the cover. And by him already putting him self at the place of the offense he was acused of would mean it a easy win for the trafic offence. To be there is admiting to driving the taxi. And the part that shows to his own plan to operate a taxi wit out lic or insureance. Her friend called for a taxi to pick up.
Of course she’ll get her taxi license back despite what her son used it for. She’s a caymanian on the locals only taxi welfare system.
I may be wrong, but I believe the defendant has the right to choose a jury trial or trial by judge alone.In this case it seems by choosing his peers he had everything to gain and nothing to lose. His version of events sounds extremely unlikely.
Everett it is good to know that the Justice system works. May you move on from this trial in your life and prosper.
You people are UNBELIEVABLE!!
XXX
This and this alone makes me want to get the eF outta here!! (working on an alternate passport now!!)
I was sexually assaulted a few years ago by a well liked person who was my neighbor. NO WAY could I report that! Nobody would believe me. Never told a soul for 5 years.
Let’s see if I “blow him up” (referring to, on social media) before I leave this honky banana republic racist prejudiced woman demonizing spit of sand.
Just report your assailant and let it unfold.
Non reporting does nothing for your credibility…
LOL Spoken by a man for sure!
You. Have. No. Idea….
So let’s get this straight. You’re upset about the authorities here not pursuing someone for an assault on you which, um, you never reported?
My guess is you made it up.
1:44p it looks like reading and comprehension is not your strong suit.
Nowhere in that comment did that person state that they were upset that the authorities here not pursuing someone for an assault. Not one single word even inferred that. Even specifically stated “NO WAY could I report that!” And then stated why!! “Nobody would believe me.”
But yeah, I’m sure they made it up.
Cayman’s attitude towards women is clearly expressed through this court case and the whole McKeeva attack. The fact that these are clearly in the public domain and nothing, NOTHING is done about it is disgusting.
We’ll probably get the usual “expats coming here and trying to change our Cayman values” regarding women’s rights
What is a fair burden of proof, is what these horrible cases come down to. Is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ still reasonable? Is anything less unreasonable?
Basically men nowadays sexually objectify women. And it does not help the way most women portray themselves following trends/society etc. Men seem to have no proper respect for a woman and just feel that they can do or say what they want and getaway with it.
Yes women are beautiful blah blah blah but for Christ sake use your damn head and control yourself. Women do it to men as well so the same goes for them.
When did they not, cave and club!
Wtf?
Men nowadays? Like it’s never been the case ever before?
Most women… you did a straw poll?
Men seem to have no respect. Now, it’s all men?
Some sweeping generalizations there! Try to be a tad more precise if you can.
Looks like the 6 women on the jury didn’t believe her. Neither tale was very believable frankly.
Sounds like a miscarriage of justice. Not sure why she would go to the police if she instigated it.
A disturbing acquittal on so many fronts ….
So, what’s the punishment for posing as a taxi driver? I presume he took the vehicle without his mother’s permission? If so, was he insured, did mother allow this? Can he be at least disqualified for a year, along with his mother, if she was aware of what he was doing.
cops too lazy/imcompetent to file charges on that….too late now.
All public transportation, including taxis, should have a camera trained on the occupants.
That would soon put an end to idiots driving vehicles illegally, and allegations needing to be investigated.
As someone alluded to in another post, if he gave a no comment statement…I understand the right to silence, but it’s not often the sign of a person with nothing to hide.
the government doesnt even have enough balls to make them have meters in taxis. CAMERAS?! keep dreaming
Apologies. I was just thinking of Uber recordings you see on YouTube.
Then I remembered about Cayman. Then it made me sad, how in 2021 a taxi driver can pull out a ready reckoner on paper to work out the charge.
Before anyone mentions flex…meh, it’s like having a smartphone and only using the calculator app.
poor women. what a horrendous experience. Makes me very sad to read this.
I hope she feels like she has the support of the community XXXX
He didn’t have a taxi license, so not sure we should refer to him as a taxi driver?
Cayman justice for you. Why would the woman make this up and go to the police? She had nothing to gain and a lot to lose.
No comment interview and then he comes up with all that lot 2 years later.
I know we are supposed to be trusting, but ladies, do not allow yourselves to be put in these situations.
At the end of the day, it will be your word against his.
What will the judge say? Dismissed!
If you do have to get into a taxi worse for wear, at least put your phone on record or call a friend while you are in the cab and tell them who you are riding home with. Try to stay on the phone as long as possible. You can also do live location share with Whatsapp.
It is infuriating given how many precautions women already have to take to avoid disgusting men, we must also not allow ourselves to be put in these situations? Not drunk driving and taking a taxi was the responsible thing to do. How about not raising your sons to be be rapists. How about teaching consent and that they are not entitled to women from the time they are young.
THIS THIS THIS!
You raise valid points, but I think the author of the comment was simply suggesting other ways to feel secure by minimizing the chance of any unwanted sexual encounter.
What I am saying is why not suggest other ways MEN can avoid or minimize the chance of any unwanted sexual encounter. You want women to take allllll these preventative measures, what are men going to do?
Welcome to the Caribbean, where men are men and women need to be scared.
Excellent comment, my wife does this all the time. She calls me as soon as she gets in the taxi and speaks loudly so that the driver knows she is on the phone.
Likes for how many times you (and me) faked a phone call with another person telling them exactly where and who they are with! 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️
If the driver assaults her, you only have ONE option and that is to call the police and hope they locate her. By then she could be raped or be dead or both. That isnt a solution. What can MEN do?