Digital Evidence Reveals Complex History Behind Attack on Gay Man

A trail of WhatsApp messages and Facebook conversations took centre stage yesterday in the High Court, unveiling the complex relationship between two men that ended in a violent encounter at Dove Trail Beach.

This is in relation to the trial of a young man(then 19) who is accused of attempting to kill a gay man in January 2020.

Testifying before Justice Tunde Bakre, Constable Corene Joseph from the Regional Cyber Investigations Laboratory presented detailed forensic evidence from both men’s phones, revealing an 18-month digital history that began in August 2018. The messages painted a picture of escalating tensions over an unpaid $100 debt and rejected propositions.

The victim, who was 29 at the time of the attack, initiated contact with the younger accusedin 2018 while the latter was still in school. What followed was a series of exchanges involving requests for financial assistance – ranging from money for work permits to requests for an iPhone and sports equipment. At one point, the accused even suggested a $5,000 payment for intimate photos.

The messages showed that the accused eventually agreed to pay his $100 debt with sex. However, the meet up between the two men ended with the victim being badly wounded.

Dr. Alafea Stevens, who treated the victim at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, testified about the severity of the injuries sustained during the January 2020 incident. The most concerning was a 10-cm neck laceration near the carotid artery, which she classified as life-threatening. Additional wounds were found on the victim’s back, thigh, calf, shoulder, and elbow.

Particularly compelling was evidence of post-incident Facebook messages in which the accused expressed remorse, describing himself as a “stupid kid” at the time and acknowledging he would have to accept whatever punishment came his way.