Curepe chef charged with sexual offences

A 48-year-old chef has been charged with a series of sexual and other serious offences, including the attempted murder of a 17-year-old girl who responded to a Facebook advertisement for employment.

Aldwyn Stewart, a chef who lives at Watts Street in Curepe, was expected to face a Port of Spain magistrate on Monday charged with 19 offences, a release from the police said.

Police charged Stewart with two counts of rape, choking, serious indecency, false imprisonment, common assault, and being armed with a weapon.

He was also charged with one count of attempted murder, indecent assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, robbery with violence, driving without consent from the owner, and driving without a driver’s permit and insurance.

The minor told investigators that on September 7, she met the accused at KFC carpark, Eastern Main Road, Curepe, to hand over documents regarding the advertisement.

The girl then left with the accused under the pretext that he was giving her a drop to meet her mother in Port of Spain, the release said.

However, the accused allegedly took the victim to a private road, off the North Coast Main Road, Maracas. There, he dealt her several blows with a cutlass, sexually assaulted her and robbed her of cash, jewellery and documents.

While fighting him off, the minor said the man overpowered her and threw her over a cliff along the road.

He then drove off, leaving the girl behind.

Passers-by helped and took her to the Maracas Bay police station, where WPC Kerr of the Western Child Protection Unit (CPU) took the lead on the case.

On September 12, police saw the car on the North Coast Road and chased it. The car was intercepted and they also rescued a suspected victim who was in the car.

The suspect threw himself over a cliff, but the police caught him. He was taken for medical treatment and was discharged on September 18.

CPU officers also searched his home, where they found several items that were reported stolen.

Police said several victims, including the minor, positively identified Stewart.

All victims claimed they met the accused in Curepe, where he took them to areas in the North and West and assaulted them.

W/Supt George, ASP Nowbutt and Insp Boodoo of the CPU and Cpls (acting) Gibbs and Pennie of the Maraval CID and WPC Lewis of the Maraval chargeroom led investigations.

Western Division CID and CPU police are appealing to anyone who may have been sexually assaulted or robbed along the North Coast Road to report their cases to the police.