Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday remanded Laurence Hunte to prison on the allegation that he sodomised a seven-year-old boy.

Hunte pleaded not guilty to the charge of buggery, denying that between September 1, 2005 and February 28, 2006, at North Ruimveldt, he buggered the boy. Hunte informed the court that he had been charged for the alleged offence before but after nothing was happening in the case  the matter was withdrawn.

He noted that it came as a surprise to him that the Director of Public Prosecution has reinstated the charge against him.
He further stated that he wanted to get a lawyer to decide whether or not he should plead guilty to the charge since he does not want to go through the lengthy court process again.

The child, now 11, was also present in court and he started to cry after listening to Hunte and ran out of the courtroom.

The magistrate then remanded Hunte. He is to return to court on April 22.