Maraval man gets 12 years for teenager’s rape

A MARAVAL man, who was yesterday sentenced to 12 years hard labour for raping a 15-year-old girl, said he was “framed” because he “exposed her business.”

Johnny Douglas, 43, was found guilty by a nine-member jury when he appeared before High Court Judge Ivor Archie in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court charged with raping a 15-year-old girl on September 25, 1999, at Morne Coco Rd, Maraval. The jury deliberated for 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdict against Douglas. The State was represented in the matter by Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo while defence attorney Theodore Guerra represented Douglas. The facts presented to the Port-of-Spain Fourth Criminal Court by Waterman-Latchoo were that around 7 pm on said date, the victim, 15 years old at the time, was walking along Morne Coco Road, Maraval, when Douglas offered to give her a ride in his maxi taxi.

The court heard that the teenager knew Douglas and had often travelled in his maxi taxi and so she accepted the lift. Douglas reportedly told her that he had to pick up a woman and pulled into a side street along Morne Coco Road. He came out of the driver’s seat and went to the back of the maxi where the teenager was sitting. Douglas then told the teenager, “Don’t scream,” and put his hand over her mouth. A struggle ensued and she kicked Douglas in his groin after which he slapped her and banged her head against the maxi. He then raped her. He also threatened to kill her and her family if she told anyone what had happened. After completing the act, Douglas got back into the driver’s seat and drove off.

The court heard that the victim, who was still in shock from the incident, later asked Douglas to stop the maxi and she alighted and went home. However, she did not tell anyone what had happened to her. Some time after the incident, the teenager told her younger brother about the incident and he advised her to tell their mother about it, which she did. A report was then made to the Four Roads Police Station on February 8, 2000. Douglas was subsequently arrested and charged for the offence by Sgt Joyce Martin of the Four Roads Police Station. In his defence, Douglas claimed that the teenager had made the allegations against him because he had warned her mother about her behaviour. He said that she decided to get revenge against him for exposing her business. Douglas also presented two alibi witnesses to testify that he was not using the maxi taxi on the night of the incident but had spent the entire day by his children’s mother.