Convicted rapist appealing length of sentence

…as Chief Justice reminds lawyer of violent nature of rape

Convicted rapist Linton Pompey is appealing his consecutive prison sentences on two counts of raping a 14-year-old girl, but acting Chief Justice Roxane George has underscored the violent nature of the offence.
The matter came up on Wednesday at the Appeal Court, where Pompey’s Attorney, Nigel Hughes is arguing that a sentence of 37 years for two counts is too excessive.
In September 2015 trial judge Jo-Ann Barlow handed the 53-year-old man the two consecutive sentences for acts he was found guilty of committing between May 1 and May 31, 2011; on January 10, 2012, and between June 1 and June 30, 2013 on a 14-year-old girl. During Appeal Court proceedings, Hughes argued that the trial judge had failed to put his client’s defence to the jury, further arguing that consecutive sentences could only be imposed if there was some degree of extreme violence involved.
Justice George on Wednesday told Hughes that rape in itself was a violent offence while the Director of Public Prosecutions’ representative, Natasha Backer disputed Hughes’s position of an excessive sentence. The Prosecutor further added that the father of 12 committed the acts on separate days. Citing case law in the Caribbean, Backer stressed that there were provisions to give consecutive sentences for unrelated acts, emphasising that Pompey committed the acts over a significant period of time, from May 2011 to June 2013.