The Court of Appeal has reduced the total prison time for convicted child rapist, Murphy Noorhan, from 40 years to 20 years, ruling that his two 20-year sentences will run concurrently instead of consecutively.
Noorhan was convicted on two counts of sexually penetrating a 10-year-old girl between January 4 and 5, 2013. Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry had originally sentenced him on January 8, 2016, to serve two consecutive 20-year terms for each conviction, citing the severity of the offence and Noorhan’s breach of trust.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Noorhan’s repeated abuse of the child, highlighting the profound and lasting trauma inflicted on the victim, who is now 21 years old. However, Noorhan’s defence counsel denied the charges, disputing the prosecution’s evidence and arguing that imprisonment would harm his client’s character.
In the appeal, attorneys-at-law Gwendolyn Bristol and Sarah Martin, argued that consecutive sentences were excessive and inconsistent with modern sentencing standards. But Prosecutor Natasha Backer opposed the appeal, maintaining that the original sentencing appropriately reflected the seriousness of the crime and its impact on the victim.
The appellate court, led by Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal, Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, upheld the 20-year sentence for each conviction. However, they determined that since both offences arose from the same incident, the sentences should run concurrently.
Noorhan will receive credit for time already served. The decision effectively halves his total prison term.
