Bethel man jailed for indecent act

A BETHEL Tobago man who allegedly committed an indecent act with a teenaged girl two years ago, was on Tuesday jailed for three years with hard labour after he was found guilty by a High Court jury.

Loney Duncan, 35, of Montgomery, Bethel, was sentenced by Madame Justice Paula Mae Weekes in the Tobago Assizes. He was charged by Detective Alicia Piggott of the Crown Point Police Station. Duncan was represented by attorney Larry Williams.

State prosecutor Brambhanan Dubay led evidence that the 18-year-old victim had been walking along the roadway at Bethel around 11.55 pm on January 31, 2001.

She stopped in the vicinity of a club and was awaiting a taxi when Duncan started up a conversation with her. He asked her where she was coming from and she told him she had been visiting her boyfriend, the court was told.

When the victim tried to walk away from him, the court heard that Duncan told her if she was leaving she should run not walk.

She ran until she reached an area near to another recreation club, only to find that Duncan was coming towards her.

He boasted that he knew Bethel district very well, the court was told.

Duncan forced the young woman to walk along with him, and at the junction leading to the community centre, he lifted her bodily and took her to the back of the centre.

There, the court was told, Duncan committed an act of serious indecency on the victim. The defence put it to the victim that she had been paid to do so but she denied this.