Man gets 15 years for buggery

Richie Pritchard of Toco, stood in the dock as Justice Mark Mohammed, presided in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court. Mohammed imposed three sentences after the accused pleaded guilty to buggery, serious indecency, and indecent assault.

Pritchard was ordered to serve 15 years for buggery, six years for serious indecency, and five years for indecent assault, but the sentences are to run concurrently.

State attorney Alexander Prince prosecuted, while Ryan Cameron appeared for Pritchard. The court heard that around midday on May 29, 2002, the boy, 13, was walking from his home to a nearby standpipe. He was going to take a bath when the accused ran after him. The accused started to choke the boy. During the ordeal, the accused buggered the boy, bit him on the chest and then performed oral sex on the Standard Five student.

Adesh Rehanna, a gardener, saw what was happening and confronted the accused. The accused got up and ran away. Rehanna took the boy to his family who in turn carried him to the Toco Police Station. The boy was later examined at the Sangre Grande District Hospital.

PC Kenneth Rampersad made enquiries and arrested the accused on June 17, 2002. Pritchard had nothing to say when he was arrested. In a plea for leniency, Cameron informed the court that the accused had two previous convictions for shop breaking and larceny, and office breaking and larceny for which he served six and three months in prison.

Cameron also informed the court that the accused had been in prison since the date of his arrest and while there, suffered a stroke. This left him barely able to walk, and his speech slurred. He also asked that the age of the accused be taken into account.

In passing the sentence, Justice Mohammed said there were no mitigating circumstances about Pritchard’s age. "You were what we call a hardbacked man when you committed this act. You should have known it was wholly wrong and criminal, you ought to have known better."

The judge said however, he would take into account Pritchard’s health. Mohammed said the decision of the accused to plead guilty had spared the boy the trauma of reliving the experience by having to testify in the case.

He continued, "Sexual offences leave psychological scars, more than the physical ones. Young children and teenagers already have to go through enough to cope with issues of security, now they have to be saddled with the fear of a sexual assault. Your act was a more dastardly one. It was a sexual offence with brutal consequences."

Mohammed felt that the time had come for the authorities to give consideration to the establishment of a registry of sexual offenders. "It may serve as a warning to unsuspecting members of the public," he added.

Mohammed pointed out that sexual offences against younger victims had become too prevalent in society. He said the court must show it will deal with and treat with such offenders.

He said if the accused had gone to trial and was found guilty, he was likely to get 23 years in prison.

With the guilty plea, the three years already served in prison, and five years taken off because of the stroke, Mohammed felt that 15 years was an appropriate sentence under the circumstances.