Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Lloyd Myrie, former People's National Party (PNP) caretaker for the North West St Elizabeth constituency, has been freed of a carnal abuse charge against him following a written confession by the complainant.

Myrie was freed yesterday after the court accepted that the 15-year-old complainant gave a written confession to a Catholic priest that the statement she gave to the police was false.

She disclosed in the statement that Myrie did not sexually assault her.

A Catholic deacon submitted the written confession to the court in March this year.

Handwriting expert called

Resident Magistrate Stephanie Jackson Haisley directed that a handwriting expert should make comparisons with the complainant's signature on the police statement and that of the written confession.

A handwriting expert made the comparisons and found that the signatures were written by the same person.

When Myrie appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, attorney-at-law Bert Samuels submitted that the charges against him should be dropped because of the written confession.

He also submitted that the complainant had never attended court.

The resident magistrate upheld the submissions and made no-order case against Myrie.

Myrie was the prospective PNP candidate for the September 3 general election last year but he had to resign as caretaker after the accusations were made against him.

He was arrested and charged in January 2007 following allegations that in 2006 he had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl.