…two sentences to be served concurrently

COLVIN Norton was on Tuesday afternoon found guilty of two counts of rape of a child under age 16 years old and was sentenced to 52 years imprisonment before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow in the Sexual Offences Court of the Georgetown High Court.

In handing down her sentence, Justice Barlow told the court that at the time of the incidents the accused was only 19 years old, but that was no excuse for the act since he knew the child having grown up in the same house with her.

She said he violated his position of trust and took advantage of a child whose mother was not at home the first time and the second time she caught him in the act.

The judge added that the child was silenced by the accused,who had threatened to kill her and her mother if she spoke about what he had done.
On the first count the accused was sentenced to 24 years, considering his role in silencing the child and on the second count, he was sentenced to 28 years for his disregard for others, since adults were at home at the time of the incident, and other aggravating circumstances.

Justice Barlow said the sentences would run concurrently and the accused, who is 24 years old, was urged to utilise the training in prison for sexual offenders rehabilitation programme and to undergo literacy training, which would enable him to be re-integrated into society upon his release, since he could not read very well.

When asked if he had anything to say to the court, the accused Norton declined, stating he was not sure what he could say at that point before the sentence was handed down.

He told the court that he was an apprentice in diesel engines back then.

The forewoman after hours of deliberation delivered both guilty verdicts.

According to the state’s case, on August 1, 2013, the accused was charged for rape of a child under age 16 years’ old and on August 6, 2013 the accused engaged in sexual penetration of a child under the age 16.

A statement which was read on behalf of the virtual complainant was done by Child Link Counsellor Celestine Mullin.

She told the court that she wrote the statement as was requested by the child who said at first after the incident she felt sad and ashamed and that affected her a lot in school and she knew she had to talk about what happened to her.

She related that her grades began to drop and she wanted her life back as such she was motivated to speak out, noting that the accused must be punished for what he did to her.