Attempted murder charge against Englee man dismissed 6 years later
A man charged with the attempted murder of a Northern Peninsula woman more than six years ago has had charges dismissed.
Herman Boyd Randell, now 46, was charged after an Englee woman complained in November, 2010 that a man had broken into her home while she slept and beaten her.
The name of the complainant, who was 58 at the time of the attack, is protected by a publication ban.
She had severe facial injuries and broken ribs and spent days in hospital. A relative told CBC News at the time that power to the home was cut before the attack.
The case has had a tangled history.
Police officers investigating the complaint said they believed people in the small town had information but were not coming forward.
Randell was arrested in 2012, and charged with attempted murder and break and enter.
He pleaded not guilty to both counts, and when the case went to trial in 2014, the defence complained that his charter rights had been violated by the way DNA evidence had been obtained.
A stay of proceedings was entered after the DNA evidence was excluded, but the Crown resumed prosecution months later.
During testimony in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland in Corner Brook earlier this year, the woman said she had not seen her attacker's face.
Justice David Hurley dismissed both charges against Randell in handing down his decision on Thursday.
