St Andrew Developer Acquitted of Fraud Charges

St Andrew real estate developer Devon Evans has been found not guilty of fraudulent conversion and obtaining money by false pretences in relation to a property transaction involving medical doctor Lloyd Goldson.

Evans was acquitted on Wednesday by Chief Parish Judge Chester Crooks following a trial in the Corporate Area Criminal Court.

The charges stemmed from the sale of a townhouse to Dr Goldson in 2008. The property was valued at more than US$400,000. Prosecutors alleged that after receiving a deposit and granting possession of the townhouse, Evans failed to provide the registered title. He was also accused of not handing over proceeds from rental income earned from another townhouse in which Dr Goldson had an interest.

The matter was reported to the police Fraud Squad, after which Evans was charged.

However, during the trial, several inconsistencies reportedly emerged in Dr Goldson’s testimony while he was under cross-examination by Evans’s attorney, King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie. It was suggested that Dr Goldson was aware, prior to making the deposit, that the townhouse was subject to a lien by the National Commercial Bank, which would have prevented the immediate delivery of a registered title. Goldson reportedly gave conflicting responses on the issue.

Evidence also revealed that the rental income from the other property had been paid over to Dr Goldson by Evans.

In delivering his ruling, Judge Crooks stated that Dr Goldson’s evidence under cross-examination had collapsed, leaving the prosecution’s case uncertain. Evans was subsequently acquitted of both charges.

Throughout the proceedings, Champagnie maintained that any dispute arising from the transaction was a civil matter rather than a criminal one.