The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and sentence of David Edward Gardner, a former St. John’s School and Triathlon Zimbabwe coach, who was found guilty of sexually abusing four teenage boys under his supervision.
Gardner, convicted of immoral indecent assault, committed the offenses at different times and locations. These included incidents in his home in Highlands, at Afdis Camp in Nyanga, and even in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Budapest, Hungary. Despite his plea of not guilty, the court found him guilty on three counts and sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment, with 12 months suspended.
In his appeal to the High Court, Gardner challenged the witnesses’ evidence, claiming it was weak, and argued that the sentence was unduly severe. However, the High Court ruled against him, finding no evidence to support claims of a conspiracy against him and affirming the strength of the prosecution’s case.
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Undeterred, Gardner took his case to the Supreme Court, where he raised issues of prosecutorial misconduct and questioned the evaluation of evidence. However, a three-panel bench of justices dismissed his appeal, stating that he had failed to raise concerns of misconduct earlier in the trial process.
The Supreme Court emphasized the corroborative evidence presented during the trial, including Gardner’s own actions, which aligned with the testimonies of the victims. Despite Gardner’s attempts to discredit the allegations, the court found the evidence sufficient to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judges highlighted the courage of the victims in coming forward and the significance of their consistent testimonies, dispelling any notion of conspiracy against Gardner. Ultimately, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts’ decisions, concluding that there was no merit in Gardner’s appeal.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, the conviction and sentence of David Edward Gardner stand, underscoring the importance of justice and accountability in cases of sexual abuseHome – ZiMetro News
