Former policeman Milton Kewley will be sentenced this afternoon after being found guilty yesterday of raping a 13-year-old boy back in August of 2013.
Kewley, a 50-year-old father of three, repeatedly proclaimed his innocence after the jury foreman announced the unanimous verdict of the 12-member jury.
He was convicted for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years, based on the charge that he sexually penetrated the boy on August 22nd, 2013.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, however, adjourned sentencing until this afternoon.
“I am innocent,” Kewley said when given a chance to speak. “The evidence is there that I’m innocent. The medical will show,” he declared.
Turning towards the jury box, the former policeman told the jury that it had made a mistake and that “the whole thing is a fabrication.”
He lamented that in life people make mistakes, and the jury had made one in convicting him.
Kewley, who his attorney says is a member of the Universal Church of God, told the court that many persons had gone into the witness box and said many things, but that God was his witness and it was through him that he would be vindicated.
Again directing his attention to the jury, the convict said that in the same way it had judge him, “God will one day judge you.”
“I am not attracted to men, or children,” the man continued.
According to Kewley, the mother of the child, with whom he had some disagreements, “had it out for me. She said she would get back at me.”
After he was finished addressing the court, his attorney Maxwell McKay in a mitigating plea told the judge that his client had no antecedents.
Prosecutor Lisa Cave, however, asked the court to impose the maximum penalty on the convict, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence, added to the fact that he had violated a position of trust when he raped the young boy.
She said that not only should a strong message of deterrence be sent to potential offenders, but to society at large that “no longer” will such acts be tolerated.
When asked, the prosecutor told the court that there would be no presentation of a victim impact statement, while McKay indicated to the court that a probation report will not be necessary.
After hearing from both sides, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry informed that sentence will be passed at 1 pm today. Kewley will be remanded to prison until then.
