A MIXED jury of seven women and five men at the Demerara Assizes yesterday found 40-year-old Shawn Trotman guilty on a two-count indictment of raping his daughter, who was under 16 years old, during January 2013 and on March 28, 2014.
Madam Justice Roxanne George sentenced Trotman to 20 years on the first count, and 25 years on the second count. And she ordered that the sentences run consecutively.
Following the jury’s verdict, the judge enquired whether the prisoner had anything to say before sentence was passed. The stocky accused, who had pleaded not guilty at the beginning of his trial, protested the jury’s verdict and claimed, “I do not know anything about this allegation.”
The accused, who has been married twice, told the court that he had never had any problem with the law, and he asked the judge whether she would believe that a person like him would commit such an offence.
According to Trotman, he has a year-old baby and a five-year-old daughter with his second wife, who was in court yesterday. Asked about his other children, Trotman told the judge, “I have three children with my ex-wife.”
Evidence led by the prosecution lawyers Shawnette Austin and Diana Kaulesar disclosed that the accused committed the offence on his daughter while she lived with him. According to the evidence, Trotman raped his daughter by inserting his fingers into her vagina. He was indicted for the rape of a child under 16 years old.
Before imposing sentence, the judge noted that the offence for which Trotman had been charged was very grave, and was frequently being committed in the society and therefore a deterrent must be found.
She told the prisoner that, as a parent, he was expected to be a person of trust and therefore should have behaved in a responsible manner.
The judge said the jury had found him guilty, and she had no doubt that he had committed the acts in 2013 and 2014.
Justice George told the prisoner, “In the first count, you are sentenced to prison for 20 years. For the second count, you will be sent to prison for 25 years. The sentences will run consecutively.”
By George Barclay
