A 22-year-old young man who said he wanted to be honest with the court about having raped three females—two children and an adult—is now awaiting sentence after pleading guilty to the offences.
Appearing before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Sexual Offences Court this morning, Leon Jordan accepted that on February 2nd, of 2012 he sexually penetrated a 7-year-old girl, and then a little under a year after that—on January 13th, 2013, he again committed the act—this time on a 14-year old.
He said he was also guilty of raping a 27-year-old woman three years after—on October 25th of 2016.
Noting that the offender may need “specialized help,” however, Justice Reynolds deferred sentencing to June 26th, to facilitate a psychiatric evaluation and the preparation of a probation report.
Likening his commission of the offences to what he figuratively described as “lightning striking all around you,” the judge sought to ascertain from Jordan what it was that was happening to him.
“Sometimes is good fuh talk the truth,” he responded in a soft tone.
Stating that he has been in prison on remand for the offences for the past three years, Jordan then went on to tell the judge that prison was not a nice place for persons who commit certain offences.
“You might not understand where ah coming from,” the now 22-year-old told Justice Reynolds, but reiterated that it “is good fuh talk de truth.”
Explaining to Jordan that he agreed with him that speaking the truth and learning from one’s error was indeed a good start, the judge opined, “but something is seriously wrong with you.”
Asked whether he had ever before been seen by a psychiatrist, the offender said once—in 2015.
The judge then asked him whether he used drugs; to which he responded, “yeah, I used to use herbs.”
According to Jordan, he had also been seen by a doctor at the prisons, for occasional headaches, for which he said he was prescribed B-Complex.
Justice Reynolds said that Jordan needed specialized help which goes far beyond the imposition of legal sanctions.
Resultantly, in addition to having a probation report prepared which defence attorney Maxwell McKay had successfully requested, the judge ordered that a psychiatric evaluation also be performed on Jordan.
Additionally, the court made orders that victim impact statements from all three rape survivors be prepared for presentation on the adjourned date.
On that date, too, the judge said he will hear the prosecution’s facts of the cases, as well as any mitigating address McKay may wish to present on his client’s behalf.
The state is being represented in the matters by Prosecutors Seeta Bishundial and Abigail Gibbs.
The cases are being heard at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Georgetown.
