St Thomas man found guilty of rape

Rommel Antonio Larone Daniel was found guilty of rape today.

The Airy Cot, St Thomas resident was on trial before Justice Randall Worrell and  a nine-member jury in the No. 2 Supreme Court for having sexual intercourse
with a woman without her consent on December 1, 2010.

Daniel remains on remand and a date will be fixed for his sentencing.

In the complainant’s evidence, she said, after a party, she accepted an offer from Daniel to take her home.

There were other persons in the vehicle. She said she realised at some point that the vehicle was not going in the direction of her home and ended up at Daniel’s residence.

There was some dispute by the defence about whether she said she was pulled or lifted into the house by Daniel.

While in the house, she recalled how Daniel pulled off her leggings and underwear.

She said he forced his finger inside her vagina, smelt it and then made her smell it.

He then proceeded to hold her down and rape her. While raping her, the complainant said the back of her foot was scraped on a part of the bed.

She said she attempted to run at some point but he caught up with her and said: “He gin open up and crank again”.

He raped her again.

The complainant said she constantly told him to stop. After the incident she said she walked to an ex-boyfriend’s residence and told him what happened before calling her mother and later reporting the matter to police.

The defence pointed out a number of inconsistencies during cross-examination.

Defense attorney Shadia Simpson asked her if she had asked Daniel to stop the car when she realised they were going in a different direction to her house.

The woman said she didn’t ask him to stop but asked: “Why the guy wasn’t still taking her home”.

The defence also claimed that the sex was consensual saying there was foreplay, kissing and the complainant came into the house and sat down on the bed with Daniel.

It was also the defence’s position that Daniel left hand was disfigured and he couldn’t use it at the time.

A metal brace was shown during the trial but the complainant said there was nothing on his hand the night of the rape.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale prosecuted the matter.  (TS)