Samuel Livingstone Cleared After High Court Rules Insufficient Evidence
Samuel Livingstone has been discharged of a charge of shooting with intent after the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case.
Justice Tunde A. Bakre handed down the ruling on February 18, 2025, citing unreliable and contradictory evidence. The case stemmed from allegations that Livingstone fired two shots at Geneal Francis on February 7, 2019, in Potters. However, inconsistencies in witness testimony, forensic findings, and conflicting accounts of the incident undermined the prosecution’s case.
At the close of the prosecution’s arguments, defence counsel Andrew O’Kola successfully submitted a “No Case” motion, citing R v. Galbraith [1981]. O’Kola welcomed the ruling, stating, “Justice has prevailed today. This case was built on unreliable evidence, and it would have been a grave miscarriage of justice to proceed.”
Justice Bakre ruled that the case was too weak to be put before a jury, reinforcing the principle that a fair trial requires credible evidence. With the court’s decision, Livingstone is now free of the charge.
