BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - A 47-year-old Basseterre resident was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, having been convicted of incest on July 3, 2012; an act he is said to have committed on his daughter.
The offence was committed on August 27, 2010 and the convict appeared before His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas last Friday (Nov. 2) for sentencing.
According to the evidence presented in Court on July 2, 2012, the man had committed incest on his daughter on numerous occasions and had often told her that she was pretty and belonged to him only.
It was also revealed that the father told his then 17-year-old daughter that he would rent a house and put her to live in it because he wanted children from her and that she was not to say anything to anyone.
At his sentencing hearing on Friday, the man was represented by Jason Hamilton who, when giving the mitigating plea, made reference to the case of Desmond Baptiste v R, and submitted the following to be mitigating circumstances: aside from the sexual acts, no physical or horrid damages took effect, no violence over and above that which was necessary was used among others.
Hamilton also asked the Court to consider the fact that the convict had no prior criminal record, his first offence found him at the age of 47 and his industriousness since he has been residing in the Federation.
One other person spoke on behalf of the convict, Ms. Bramble, who said that she knew the him since 1998 and that he was always very kind-hearted and a good person.
Bramble said she never knew him to be in trouble with the law and she does not know anything that is dishonourable about him.
She went on to stress that whatever judgement is given would have a profound effect on him and that the Court should consider what life would be like for him after serving his sentence.
Justice Thomas asked Bramble if she considered the daughter the convict had committed incest upon, to which she crudely replied, "I cannot speak about his daughter because I do not know his daughter."
The Social Inquiry Report carried out on the convict stated that he is an independent and industrious individual who always maintained gainful employment.
The report also stated that his kindness is so overreaching that it makes it difficult for those who know him to grasp his involvement in the act.
Justice Thomas, before passing sentence, said that what the convict did was considered a crime, not just in the Federation, but in any part of the civilised world.
He told the convict that when persons from his country of birth heard of what he did, they went into shock.
His Lordship said the act was committed 20 times and, during that time, the convict had a common law wife with whom he lived.
The appalled judge said when the convict was questioned, he said he knew why he did what he did, and that was because he did not want anyone to get his daughter.
"The repeated exercise of your act, coupled with your desire, rendered mercy inapplicable. Your actions were bizarre and revolting to human decency, not just in the Federation, but the civilised world," the judge said.
The convict was then sentenced to serve seven years at Her Majesty’s Prison.
