Husband jailed for rape

The woman slumped to the floor just outside the courtroom, crying, "Oh God, meh children, how dey go make out!"

The sentence was passed on Gordon Cunningham, 45, of Bagatelle Extension, San Juan, after a jury found him guilty on three counts of having sex with a minor under the age of 14 — once in October 1999 and twice in November, 1999.

On each count Rampersad sentenced Cunningham to ten years hard labour which are to run concurrently.

State attorney Candia James, who prosecuted the matter, told the court that the sentence should reflect the gravity of the offence. Such an offence carries a maximum of life imprisonment.

In passing the sentence, the judge noted that the offenses were perpetrated against young people under 14 who seem to be in a somewhat vulnerable position and need extra protection, especially from people who are close to them. He told Cunningham that he betrayed the trust the girl had in him, and so serious was this offence that only a custodial sentence could be justified.

Cunningham’s attorneys, Theodore Guerra SC and Thomas Cunningham, told the court that the prisoner had no previous conviction. The evidence was that the girl had gone to Cunningham’s home to change her school clothes in October, 1999, when he called her into his bedroom and raped her. He warned her not to tell anyone. The next month, he again had sex with her on two occasions.

In his defence, Cunningham said the girl had fabricated the story against him, because at the time of the incidents, he was attending classes at Cipriani Labour College.

The jury of nine took two hours and 15 minutes to reach a guilty verdict.