Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

“The dropping of these charges is an immense weight off my shoulders”

Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Ryan Hinds has been found not not guilty of sexually assaulting a 28-year-old woman in February 2012 after the complainant told the court that she would not be presenting her evidence.

This led to Chief Magistrate Pamela Beckles dismissing the case and finding Hinds, who wasn’t present during the hearing, not guilty.

“The dropping of these charges is an immense weight off my shoulders,” Hinds, who stated that he was innocent from the start, said. “There were days when I thought there was no end in sight for this matter but they (my family and lawyer) kept me grounded and focused throughout. I am now very keen to try and regain a place in the Barbados national team.”

West Indies Players Association (WIPA) president Wavell Hinds revealed that both the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) had been informed of the verdict.

“WIPA wishes Ryan every success as he seeks to rebuild his first-class and international careers,” Wavell Hinds said. “He has demonstrated before that he has the ability to bounce back from adversity, and we have no doubt that he will do so again.”