Carpenter carves out 15-year sentence for sex offences

“Sexual offences have become too prevalent, and the phenomenon has swallowed this society.”

High Court Judge Frederick Bruce-Lyle shared this view on Tuesday at the High Court, when he slapped Dennis Caine, 39, carpenter of Lodge Village, with a 15-year sentence for the attempted rape and indecent assault of a 14-year-old girl.{{more}}

A nine member mixed jury found Caine guilty on both counts.

Justice Bruce-Lyle sentenced Caine to 10 years for attempted rape and five for indecent assault. Only 10 years will be served since the sentences are concurrent.

“This Court is sending out a clear message to sex offenders.

You stand there like the Angel Gabriel and you are a devil,” said the judge.

Caine was charged for attempting to have sex with the girl between August 31 and October 1, 2004.

The evidence of the girl was that she did not attend school on the day in question because she had not eaten breakfast. She said the defendant came to the house asking for something. He then asked her for sex and tried to kiss her, at which point she said she tried to pull away but he kept forcing her. He then fondled her and attempted to rape her.

The Court heard that it was not until Caine heard the voice of the girl’s younger brother, that he fled from the bedroom through the kitchen window.

The girl said she told her brother what transpired, then waited for their Mother to come home to tell her. She said when she told her Mother, she did not believe, so she didn’t mention it again.

The Mother said that her daughter was not always known to tell the truth and when she asked her daughter if Caine had tried to have sex with her, her daughter said no.

The Judge chided the Mother and said that sometimes parents stand up for criminals instead of their children. “You’re a hopeless Mother. Your daughter reports something to you and you don’t believe her.”

In Caine’s testimony, he said he went over to the house to check on the girl at the request of her Mother, since he was working nearby and did not want any boys over there. He said he went into the house and the girl asked for bread and chicken. He said he gave her $20, which she gave to her brother to go to the shop. He said he sat on a chair and waited until the boy brought back the change for him. Caine, who said he was on a short break from work, said it was nearing his time to go back, so he went through the kitchen door.

However, there was a twist in the statement made by the virtual complainant. She had told the court that she went to school the next day and told her principal what occurred, but later changed her story stating that she did not go to school, but went to Petit Bordel instead.