The prosecution has signalled its intention to appeal the sentence handed down to popular entertainer Harrison Horsford, known as Jesse Fyah, after he was ordered to pay a total of $8,000 following his conviction for indecently assaulting a woman in 2020. According to Antigua Observer, the sentence has drawn scrutiny as falling short of the gravity of the offences.
Horsford appeared for sentencing having remained in custody since his conviction in May for indecent assault and serious indecency. The court ordered him to pay the victim $5,000 in compensation and a $3,000 fine.
The case stems from an incident on October 27, 2020, in which the complainant — a young woman in her early twenties who had known Horsford for years — accepted a ride from him. The two had previously shared a casual relationship.
What began as a routine ride took a troubling turn. Horsford stopped first at his workplace, then drove toward Bolans without explanation, telling the complainant he needed to meet someone at Darkwood about a billboard. She agreed to accompany him.
No such meeting existed. Upon arriving at Darkwood, Horsford stepped out of the vehicle, looked around, then returned and began kissing the complainant without her consent. When she resisted, he grabbed her by the throat, exposed and touched her breasts, and forcibly touched her private area, telling her she belonged to him. She repeatedly demanded he take her home.
Instead, he told her to get out and walk.
Stranded on the roadside, the complainant flagged down a passing motorist, who later testified that the woman was in tears, visibly distressed, and clutching her clothing. That motorist drove her directly to the Johnson Point Police Station.
At trial, Horsford delivered an unsworn statement — meaning he could not be cross-examined. He claimed he had stopped only because he spotted the complainant standing in the rain, and that their exchange had been friendly, centred on his offer to help her find employment. He alleged she subsequently asked him for $3,000, which he refused, after which he dropped her off. He said the first indication of trouble came that evening, when she messaged him on Facebook accusing him of rape — a message he said he responded to by warning her not to spread rumours or face legal action from his lawyer.
The jury rejected his account entirely, convicting him on both counts after deliberating for less than an hour.
Horsford was 33 years old at the time of the offences. He was remanded into custody immediately following the verdict, which was delivered before Justice Ann Marie Smith. The maximum penalty for the offences is five years imprisonment. The prosecution's appeal of the sentence is expected to proceed through the courts.
