Court/Crime Briefs

A Belmont man who has denied sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy who was lured to the man’s home as he (the boy) was returning from church, will be sentenced on Friday by Justice Maria Wilson.

Lincoln Blanc, 32, was yesterday convicted by nine jurors, who at first could not all agree on a verdict, but five minutes later, returned with a unanimous verdict of guilty. The jury panel of two women and seven men took close to an hour deliberating and returned to say they could not agree on a verdict. After being directed by the trial judge that they had a mandatory three hours in which to deliberate, the jurors were sent back to the jury room only to return five minutes later with their verdict.

Blanc, who angrily gestured to arresting officer PC Philmore Bremnor, was found guilty of serious indecency against the then 15-year-old victim on August 24, 2003. According to the victim, he was walking along Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, when he heard someone calling out his name.

He saw no one and continued along his journey when, in the vicinity of Duke and Piccadilly Streets, he again heard his name being called. The victim, now 25, recognised his caller having seen him before in church. The boy claimed he was later sexually assaulted by Blanc. Randal Hector prosecuted while Richard Mason defended Blanc.

Boy, 17, held for rape

Police yesterday arrested and charged a 17-year-old schoolboy for the rape of a 15-year-old female schoolmate. The incident, police said, happened in March at a house in Penal. PC Nanan laid the charge against the teenager for having sex with a female between the age of 14 and 16.

He was among eight persons arrested in an early morning anti-crime exercise in the south-western division yesterday. Also arrested was a 31-year-old man of Temple Street, Arima, who was staying at a house at Lachoos Road, Penal. Police held the suspect and charged him with possession of 14 grammes of cocaine and seven rounds of 16-gauge cartridge. PC Narine laid the charge.

The drugs and ammunition were found hidden under a bed in his room, police said. The other suspects were held for narcotics and on outstanding warrants.

Female thieves fined $1,600

Two women, who last Friday pleaded guilty to stealing cosmetics from Pennywise Ltd, were yesterday fined a total of $1,600 by a Port-of-Spain magistrate. Magistrate Melvin Daniel told mother of two Sarah Noel, 26, and Patricia De Castro, 23, to pay their respective $800 fines within six weeks or in default, serve three months imprisonment.

The duo first appeared before Daniel last Friday when they pleaded guilty to stealing $767 worth of cosmetic items from Pennywise Limited on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain. Noel, a sales clerk and De Castro, who sells at a parlour, each apologised to the magistrate for their action. During mitigation pleas last Friday on behalf of the women, attorney Gordon Lamming blamed “a negative aura” along Charlotte Street and the “spirit in town” for the women choosing to steal the items.

File yet to be sent

to DPP’s Office

The file in the case against accused baby biter Jermour Noel has not yet to been sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as it is not yet completed. Court prosecutor Sgt Rawle Ramharrack made this revelation when Noel, 24, a cable technician reappeared yesterday before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrate’s Court.

The prosecutor explained that Cpl Sankar, who laid the charge, received photos on Monday and has to attach it to the file. Once the file is completed it will be sent to the DPP’s office so that an attorney can be appointed to prosecute.

Noel of Poinsettia Drive, Morvant, is charged with wounding his daughter Jinayah Noel, with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm. Jinayah was only five days old at the time of the incident which occurred on December 9, 2012 at a house at Smith Place, Calvary Hill, East Dry River, Port-of-Spain. It is alleged that he bit off chunks of flesh from the face and legs of his newborn daughter. The newborn underwent surgery at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope and was subsequently discharged. The case was adjourned to August 7.