A 68-year-old Point Fortin grandfather who indecently assaulted his 11-year-old granddaughter twice eight years ago was jailed yesterday for 354 days. Despite the age of the accused and his previous good character, Justice Devan Rampersad said he must be sent to jail because he breached his granddaughter’s trust and took advantage of her. “The court must also balance the interest of the public, the seriousness of the offence and the prevalence. “In this instant case a serious aggravating factor is that you took advantage of someone in your trust, your granddaughter, and that is very serious,” the judge added.
In addition, the judge said he also breached the trust of his daughter, the child’s mother, because she “trusted you not to take advantage of the child.” The prisoner, the father of seven adult children, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault in the San Fernando First Criminal Court on October 31. The assaults took place in August 2006 when the mother left the girl and her two brothers with him and went to work. State attorney Angelica Teelucksingh said the accused touched the girl’s private area in both incidents.
The prisoner, she said, warned the child if she told anyone what happened she would be sent to the Youth Training Centre and would never see her mother and brothers again. The mother, however, became suspicious when the man confronted her on August 22, 2006 and told her not to allow anyone but him to stay with the children. The mother subsequently spoke with her daughter who told her what had happened. They made a report to the Point Fortin police and the man was arrested but claimed he knew nothing about the allegation.
In asking for a non-custodial sentence, his attorney, Cedric Neptune, said the man would turn 69 on December 17 had never had any other matters in court and was not a threat to society. Neptune added that his client was concerned about his granddaughter having to give evidence in court and spared her that trauma. The judge said the court had in mind a sentence of 18 months but deducted one third for his guilty plea and the 11 days he spent in custody.