On June 27, 2017 Sean Knights a Guyanese national who had been living in Montserrat appeared before High Court charged on two counts count rape, and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, the offenses having occurred in 2013.
High Court Judge, Justice QC Ian Morley sentenced Knights to a total of five and a half years in prison, two days later in presence of a selected nine-member jury. Knights was represented by Attorney Lawrence Daniel while the prosecution team comprised Acting Director of Public Prosecution Kenroy Hyman and the Kristen Taylor-Hilton.
Knight’s who had pleaded not guilty to both counts, during cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, deliberated his attorney and Mr. Daniel who then made an application to the court where the second indictment was read over to Knights who then pleaded guilty to the charge.
AS a result of acting Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Hyman offered no evidence in relation to the first count.
But, before passing sentence Justice Morley was advised that there was another pending matter involving Mr. Knights where he was given a suspended sentence on a wounding charge in 2013 by Justice Gilford. Acting DPP Hyman revealed that the sentence was breached as Knights did not adhere to the directives given by Justice Gilford and during the period September to October 2013 Knights left the territory without permission as such he had to be resentenced.
Knights was subsequently located in the United States where he was held in prison for a period of seven months before being extradited to Montserrat on January 11 this year, he was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison since. In passing sentence Justice Morley, having listened to the facts of the wounding matter and the mitigation presented by Mr Daniel passed the following judgment; For outstanding wounding charge – three years imprisonment, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor – three years imprisonment, both to run concurrently.
Justice Morley in sentencing said he took into account the time spent in custody in the United States into consideration, and awarded a reduction in the sentence from six years to five and a half years.
