The Grand Court has issued an arrest warrant for Noel Paul Manning, who faces charges of raping a 5-year-old child, after he repeatedly failed to show up for court appearances and removed his electronic ankle monitor.
Manning, 53, was a no-show in court again on Friday, 1 March, prompting Justice Cheryll Richards to issue the warrant.
Manning had been granted bail by the court in July last year, after he pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, eight counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.
In January, police issued a wanted notice for Manning, stating that he had breached his bail conditions and taken off his electronic monitoring device.
Last month, when he failed to turn up for his Grand Court appearance, an arrest warrant was issued, but was stayed for six weeks to allow time for Manning to be informed of the development and for him to surrender.
Lee Halliday-Davis, representing Manning, said she had had no communication with him since he last appeared in court. She said she had been in contact with Manning’s wife, who had informed her that she had also not heard from him, Halliday-Davis told the judge.
At the hearing in February, Halliday-Davis had told the court that Manning’s wife feared “the worst in relation to the seriousness of the charges and the publicity in relation to these matters”.
Related Videos
