By Samantha Simon
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Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin has announced that Lee Martin-Cramp, a British ex-police officer currently serving a 15-year sentence in Antigua for rape, may be sent back to England to complete his sentence.
This development comes four years after Martin-Cramp’s conviction for the rape of a young woman while he was vacationing in Antigua in 2015.
Martin-Cramp, a former Metropolitan Police Force officer, had unsuccessfully tried to block the original extradition to Antigua, claiming that being detained in the country’s national prison would be inhumane.
A deal struck with the UK means he has instead been serving his sentence at the former US air base in Coolidge, away from other prisoners housed at His Majesty’s Prison.
Benjamin told Observer yesterday that the current arrangement was costly.
Earlier this week he told Parliament, “We cannot be seen, despite the agreement, to give him preferential treatment.”
The Attorney General has indicated that efforts will be made to return Martin-Cramp to England to serve the remaining years of his sentence, although the prisoner is reportedly reluctant to return.
“If he unreasonably withholds his consent to go back to England, I should be saying this because I’m the AG and I must honour the agreement we made, we cannot be seen to be preferential in those special circumstances. He may have to return,” he explained.
During the original trial in 2019, the court heard that Martin-Cramp, who was 26 at the time of the offence, had met the victim on the dating app Tinder.
Despite the victim’s clear communication that she did not want to have sex, Martin-Cramp spiked her drink and overpowered her.
The victim later obtained an admission from Martin-Cramp via WhatsApp, which was used as evidence in court.
The extradition of Martin-Cramp from the UK to Antigua and Barbuda in September 2018 was a legal first.
After a seven-day trial, the jury took just three hours to convict him.
Following his conviction, Martin-Cramp was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police Force.
