Port of Spain watchman pleads guilty to incest

A 35-year-old watchman has been sentenced to eight years and eight months' imprisonment for incest.

Justice Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo sentenced him on November 25, after he accepted a maximum sentence indication of 15 years and pleaded guilty to 11 counts of incest.

The accused benefited from a two-year deduction for his previous good character and good behaviour from the dates of the offences in 2009 and the date of sentencing. He also received a one-third discount for his guilty plea, leaving him with eight years and eight months to serve.

He was further ordered to report to the nearest police station seven days after his release from prison and register as a sex offender on the National Sex Offenders Register.

He will also report as a sex offender for six years, four times a year, starting from the date of registration.

Waterman-Latchoo also ordered the Supreme Court Registrar to forward his name and particulars to the Commissioner of Police for the commissioner to publish the relevant information on the Public Sex Offender website in 14 days.

According to the evidence presented by prosecutors Dylan Martin and Niara Boodan, the man was 19 when he committed the acts against his eight-year-old sister.

The victim lived with her mother, stepfather and siblings, including the prisoner, at their home in Port of Spain. She shared a room with her siblings.

Sometime during Lent in 2009, she was alone at home playing with a toy when her brother came home and walked into the room. He sat on his bed while she left the room for water and he called her back, telling her to sit next to him, which she did.

He then took off her top, pulled down her pants and underwear and raped her.

She began crying because she was in pain. When he was done, the prisoner told her not to tell anyone because he could get in trouble and go to jail. He then put on his pants and went outside.

Later that night, the victim saw blood on her underwear, but did not tell anyone what the prisoner did to her because she was afraid of him.

The evidence showed that was not the only time he raped her, but it happened more than ten times afterwards, between 2009 and 2012.

In 2012, the victim told relatives what was going on and she was taken to the police station and medically examined.

The accused was then arrested and charged.

He denied the allegations and the matter was set for trial.

However, on the first day of trial, his attorney told the court that he wanted a maximum sentence indication (MSI).

After the judge gave the MSI, he accepted and pleaded guilty.