(CMR) Eric Brian Williams-Soto, who was last year found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of retired prison officer Harry Elliott, was acquitted on a charge of gun possession last week.
Williams-Soto and Justin Kyle Jackson were arrested on 29 April 2022 following a high-speed chase for approximately 10 miles in a white Toyota Yaris he had rented weeks before.
The chase ended when Jackson lost control of the vehicle; both men then fled on foot. Williams-Soto was arrested near the crash scene, while Jackson was arrested days later.
A handgun was found in the abandoned car; however, during the trial, it was revealed that police could not conclude which of the two men had possession of the gun.
Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge; however, Williams-Soto denied possession of the gun.
After the prosecution presented its case against Williams Soto last month, his attorney, Keith Myers, made a ‘no case’ submission on the grounds that there was no evidence linking his client to the gun.
Justice Marlene Carter directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty, saying, “The prosecution has, at this stage, presented no evidence that the firearm was physically in the custody or under the control of this defendant. The submission of no case is upheld.”
Williams-Soto and Jackson are both awaiting sentencing in the killing of Harry Elliott.
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