Anthony Braithwaite will be spending the next 20 years of his life behind bars for the rape of an 11-year old girl.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry handed down the sentence yesterday to Braithwaite, 27, who had been found guilty of the crime last month by a 12-member jury at the High Court, in Georgetown.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that in July, 2007, he had sexually penetrated the girl.
Sentencing was deferred until yesterday to facilitate the presentation of a probation report on Braithwaite.
The report revealed that Braithwaite lost his parents at a very young age, resulting in him being transferred into his grandmother’s care. However, at the age of 10, he was forced to seek employment and attend school because his grandmother’s monthly old age pension could not support the entire family.
The report further stated that a poverty-stricken Braithwaithe could not afford to sit the CSEC exams and so he sought employment as a minibus conductor and subsequently as a labourer. He was described as a hard worker by persons who knew him.
Pleading for lenience in sentencing, the man’s attorney, Raymon Ali, cited several sections of the probation report which stated that Braithwaite lacked guidance throughout his formative years. This, he said, came as a result of the accused losing both his parents at a very young age followed by his grandmother a few years after she became his primary caregiver.
He also highlighted sections of the report which characterised Braithwaite as a hard working member of his community by his fellow community members.
Ali begged for leniency for his client, while acknowledging that the power lies with the court to impose a sentence that will seek to punish, deter and hopefully rehabilitate offenders.
Braithwaite, however, maintained his innocence.
“Your worship, I am innocent of this crime and I would just like to have the opportunity to take care of my two little children someday. I am asking the court to have mercy on me. To God be the glory,” he declared.
Taking several factors into consideration, including the fact the victim was only 11 years old at the time, the fact that she trusted him as well as the prevalence of the offence, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry sentenced Braithwaite to 20 years in jail.
The state’s case was led by prosecutor Stacy Goodings, in association with state attorneys Michael Shahoud and Siand Dhurjan.
