Danny Mason has been found guilty again - this time by a jury for 2 counts of kidnapping couple Lloyd & Rosie Friessen.
The same jury found him not guilty of blackmailing Lloyd Friessen while his alleged accomplice Ryan Rhaburn walked free, after a unanimous verdict of not guilty on both counts of kidnapping according to all 9 jurors. He left the court a free man whileMason returned to prison to continue serving his 35 year sentence for murder.
Mason's Trinidadian Attorney, Peter Taylor said the verdict was confusing but they will be reviewing the directives given by the judge before they could say whether or not Mason will be appealing the conviction for 2 counts of kidnapping.
Here are his remarks outside the courtroom:
Peter Taylor, Attorney for William "Danny" Mason
"Well we found that it was rather confusing because the blackmail was supposed to be a part and parcel of the alleged kidnapping. Now our case was that the kidnapping was in fact a fabrication and also the blackmail. We were rather confused, for the jury had found Mr Mason not guilty of blackmail but guilty of kidnapping, when, as I said, the blackmail was supposed to be part and parcel of this whole enterprise. We are going to have to review the directions that the chair to have given to the jury to see if there were arguments that were perhaps appealable. That of course will take some time, but we in fact are disappointed, very, very disappointed because of the inconsistencies that we found through the evidence of the crown's witnesses. There were inconsistencies between Lloyd Frazer and his wife, the alleged victims there were also manifesting inconsistencies in the evidence of the supporting so called supporting witnesses. Of course one of the witnesses was allegedly part of the kidnapping and even his testimony contradicted that of the so called victims in very material particulars. We of course made a no case submission but the evidence was so unreliable that no jury properly directed could have convicted (inaudible)."
We reached out to the DPP for a response and she said, quote, "The fact-finding duty was entirely within the province of the jury." She adds, quote, "This particular jury was one of the most if not THE MOST attentive that I have come across. They took their responsibility very seriously. Ultimately, they convicted Mason of the two counts of kidnapping and we are of the view that justice was thereby served. If they were unsure of the separate offence against Mason for blackmail, it was their duty to acquit him of it. It was their duty, likewise, if they were unsure of the participation of Ryan Rhaburn, to acquit him and this is what they did...A no-case submission made by Counsel for Rhaburn had in fact been dismissed both at the first trial and in this trial..The result today is testament to a properly functioning criminal justice system."
Mason's sentencing is set for June 20, 2025.
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