(Trinidad Express) A 25-year-old man has been ordered to serve a total of 105 years in prison for raping a 52-year-old mother and her 17-year-old daughter almost nine years ago.
He was also charged with robbing a female relative who was eight months pregnant and a male relative of the rape victims.
Ishmael Blackwell, a neighbour of the victims, was found guilty yesterday by a nine-member jury of three men and six women, of two counts of rape and three counts of robbery with aggravation.
Justice Devan Rampersad ordered Blackwell serve 30 years with hard labour on each count of rape and 15 years with hard labour on each count of robbery with aggravation.
The sentences will run concurrently so Blackwell will only serve 30 years behind bars.
Rampersad said he took into consideration the protection of the public and the criminal conduct displayed by Blackwell.
The trial was heard before Rampersad in the Fourth Criminal Court at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain.
Evidence on behalf of the State was led by attorneys Lee Merry and Sanika Tyson.
In passing sentence, Rampersad said he took into account that Blackwell was 16 at the time the offence was committed and the expression of remorse, through his attorney Raphael Morgan, after he was found guilty.
The court heard that on August 22, 2003, Blackwell and two other men, one of them Jason Farfan, broke down the door of a wooden house in Valencia.
Farfan was found guilty of the crime on June 9, 2008 and sentenced to serve 20 years for rape, and 15 years each on three counts of robbery. He was described as a beast by Justice Herbert Volney who also ordered that he receive 30 strokes with the birch.
Farfan appealed the sentence but the Court of Appeal increased his 20-year jail term for rape to 30 years.
Justices Paula Mae Weekes, Nolan Bereaux and Rajendra Narine reduced by 20 the number of strokes ordered by Volney.
Armed with guns, Blackwell, Farfan and the other man, who was shot dead by police some time later, demanded money and jewelry and received $100 and some jewelry. Farfan threatened to burn down the house if he did not get more money and jewelry.
One of the men placed a gun to the mother’s mouth while another pointed a gun at the daughter. They then took turns raping both women repeatedly. The ordeal lasted more than five hours.
During the incident, the son of the older woman arrived home and he was robbed of TT$425.
The men fled the scene but were arrested months later by Insp Sipian Mark, Insp Eric Parks and WPC Wilma Cooper.
The three were commended by Rampersad for the manner in which their investigation was conducted.
Blackwell’s attorney told Rampersad his client has two previous convictions for burglary and possession of cocaine.
