Rapist jailed for 11 years

A MAN who was 27 years old when he beat and raped his 18-year-old sister-in-law, was yesterday jailed for a total of 11 years with hard labour. However, because the sentences are to run concurrently, he will only serve eight years behind bars. In imposing the jail team on Michael John, now 44, a father of six, of Quash Trace, Sangre Grande, Justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon noted that young girls are often taken advantage of by close relatives or friends of the family.

She told John he had committed a serious crime and had ravaged the woman in such a horrific manner that she defecated on herself. She also told him that the fact that his sister-in-law was 18, already had a son, and that he might have been contributing to her support, did not give him a licence to force himself on her. Soo-Hon said she had taken into consideration all mitigating circumstances raised by John’s attorney, Ryan Cameron — that he was 27 at the time, a father of six, spent a total of 21 months  incarcerated and had no previous conviction.

The rape, which took place 16 years ago, only came to trial recently because John had absconded after making bail 16 months after being arrested and charged. He was found guilty of rape and causing actual bodily harm to the victim on the morning of May 21, 1989, at Quash Trace, Sangre Grande. The court heard that John had first beat the woman by cuffing her about the face when she fell while trying to escape from him. He then used a broomstick to beat her, demanding she submit to his demand. It was during this beating that she urinated and defecated herself. Soo-Hon sentenced him to eight years for the rape and three years for the beating.  Prosecuting the matter were Nalini Singh and Shoba Jamunar.