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By Latrishka Thomas
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A barber convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl has been sentenced to 16 years in prison, with 151 days already spent in custody to be deducted. The court heard how the assault had left the teenager struggling with panic attacks, flashbacks and a loss of trust in others.
The man, who was found guilty by a jury in July, continued to deny the offence at sentencing and claimed the teenager had fabricated the allegation to conceal a relationship with a boyfriend.
A probation report detailed the psychological impact of the February 2023 assault on the girl and her family. The court heard that the once sociable teenager had suffered panic attacks at night, missed weeks of school and withdrawn from social activities.
Her academic performance declined, and she found it difficult to trust others. Despite undergoing therapy, she continued to experience flashbacks.
Her grandmother, who had previously regarded the defendant as a brother, said the girl had become quiet and withdrawn and sometimes lashed out at people around her. She also described the emotional toll on the family, including feelings of shame when the case was discussed.
The defendant, who is in his 50s and was no longer legally represented at sentencing, offered an apology but immediately denied wrongdoing.
“Sorry to the complainant for talking to her. Talking to her is what got me here. I had no physical contact with her. That’s the gospel truth,” he told the court.
He said he had only been trying to be a good neighbour. “God knows I did not touch her. That is a lie and it hurts my heart to the core. I don’t have sex with underage people,” he said.
He again claimed that the girl had accused him to conceal her involvement with a boyfriend. When he turned towards the complainant and said he could repeat his claims to her face, the judge instructed him to turn around.
He also apologised to the girl’s family and the court while maintaining his innocence.
The case arose from an incident in February 2023, when the complainant, then 14, was at home alone preparing for dance practice.
She testified that the defendant, a neighbour, came to the house asking for her aunt. When told the aunt was absent, he forced his way inside and raped her in her grandmother’s bedroom despite her pleas for him to stop.
The teenager told the court that she was menstruating at the time, making the assault particularly painful.
At trial, defence attorney Sherfield Bowen challenged differences between the complainant’s initial police statement and her later account. Her first statement described the defendant touching her and leaving after realising she was menstruating.
The defence suggested that she had changed her account to conceal a visit from a male school friend in breach of a household rule.
The complainant rejected that suggestion, saying she had initially been afraid and had disclosed the full incident after speaking with her grandmother and learning that she would undergo a medical examination. She said she feared the defendant would return and harm her.
The jury rejected the defence account and convicted the man of rape.
In determining the sentence, the judge considered the seriousness of the offence and the lasting psychological harm. Under the applicable guidelines, the maximum penalty of life imprisonment is treated as 30 years for sentencing purposes.
The judge set a starting point of 16 years, increasing it to 18 years because of aggravating factors, including the defendant’s lack of remorse, attempts to blame the victim and the psychological harm caused.
His previous good character, supported by favourable accounts from people interviewed about him, led to a two-year reduction, bringing the sentence to 16 years. The judge ordered that 151 days spent in custody be deducted.
Given a final opportunity to address the complainant, the defendant again disputed her account. “I will be happy if one day she will reveal the truth,” he said before being taken back to prison.