BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Phillip’s Villager who threw himself to the mercy of the court last week after he was convicted on rape and buggery charges perpetrate against a minor, was today (Mar. 17) sentenced to serve 18 years with hard labour at Her Majesty’s Prison.
Dwight Wilson was charged with Indecent Assault, two counts of Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and Buggery, and was convicted on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 when he appeared at the Basseterre High Court before Judge Marlene Carter.
His sentence was however deferred to Thursday (Mar. 10) when he again appeared before Her Ladyship and she told him that the Crown had submitted submissions regarding sentencing recommendations but she had only received the documents that morning.
According to Winn FM, she then asked him if he had anything to say.
Wilson reportedly responded: “I just want the court to have mercy on me...to give me a lesser sentence,” to which Her Ladyship said the matter was a “very serious” one and she would need time to consider the submissions on the law.
Consequently, Justice Carter rescheduled his sentencing to today.
When Wilson appeared in court this morning for sentencing, Justice Carter said although evidence revealed he had engaged in multiple sex acts with the underage girl, she would only take into account the two instances for which he was charged.
The judge stated that the sexual acts perpetrated against the little girl had left her psychologically and physically scared for life, and that court would not tolerate people who seek to violate the innocence of children.
She also deemed him a sexual predator and indicated that society needs to be protected from him.
In her Victim Impact Statement, the little girl said, “My fear now is how my future is destroyed by what he did.”
The 32-year-old Wilson had committed the abominable acts on the girl when she was between the ages of nine and 13.
Last week, Winn FM had reported that details of the case stated that Wilson had known the girl since she was five years old following a relationship he had developed with one of her relatives, which saw him visiting their home on a regular basis.
It also stated that the relationship had ended but he however continued to visit the home once weekly and started to sexually assault the child from September 2009.
He continued doing so until December 2012, but two of his charges indicated that he had also engaged in unlawful carnal knowledge with the minor in March and April 2013.
Wilson is the third adult to have been taken before Justice Carter in recent months for sexual offences perpetrated against minors.
On Monday (Feb. 29), Trinidad and Tobago national and former Principles of Business teacher at the Washington Archibald High School, Hilton Bonaparte was found guilty of indecently assaulting a student of the said learning institution.
He was fined EC$3,500 and given a two-year suspended sentence, which would run for 12 months, and ordered that he be of good behaviour during that period. Should there be any breach of that condition, he would be taken back to court and sentenced accordingly.
The incident reportedly occurred sometime in March 2014.
According to reports reaching SKNVibes, on the night in question, Bonaparte had picked up the teenager from her home and drove to a secluded area in Frigate Bay on the pretext of wanting to speak to her.
When the teen returned home, she reportedly told her sister that Bonaparte had indecently assaulted her and the matter was reported to the police.
And on Monday (Mar. 15), Olajuwon Williams of Brombill Street, Newtown pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge perpetrated against a teenage girl and was fined EC$5,000 to be paid in six months, or if in default 12 months in jail.
The acts were reportedly committed in his home in April and October 2012 when the victim was 14 years old and he was 18.
It was revealed in court that Williams and the girl were both in high school at the time but in different forms. She told the court that they had boyfriend/girlfriend relation and had engaged in multiple sexual encounters during that period in time.
Based on arguments put forward by Williams’ attorney, Marsha Henderson, who acknowledged the seriousness of the offence but pointed out that no threat or violence was involved as well as her client did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty, Justice Carter granted her request of not sending him to jail but rather a hefty fine.
