By Latrishka Thomas
A man has been sentenced to over two decades in prison for the horrific sexual abuse his daughter endured for years.
The 51 year old, whose identity is withheld to prevent the victim from being identified, pleaded guilty to four counts of incest that occurred between 2014 and 2015, resulting in his daughter becoming pregnant at just 15 years old.
A pre-sentencing psychological evaluation, disclosed yesterday, determined that the convict does not suffer from any mental illness, but has a history of drug and alcohol misuse.
Justice Ann Marie Smith acknowledged the “horrendous nature of the offending” and apologised to the victim on behalf of a system that had failed her.
The defendant, who was represented by lawyer Wendel Alexander, apologised to the victim, saying, “I am really sorry for what happened to you through me. From my heart.”
The victim, now 27, had previously revealed a history of abuse that began when she was 11.
She initially reported the abuse to her school counsellor, leading to police involvement and her removal from the home. However, the defendant manipulated her into recanting the statement, allowing the abuse to continue.
The court heard shocking details of the abuse, including an incident in June 2014 when the intoxicated defendant assaulted the victim outside their home. The abuse persisted even after the victim became pregnant and gave birth, exacerbating her postpartum condition.
Though the case had stalled in the legal system since an initial arrest in 2015, it was revived in 2021 when the victim sought child support from the defendant.
The maximum sentence for each count of incest is 15 years.
In sentencing, the judge considered the fact that the man still refused to take accountability, claiming to be puzzled by DNA results which indicated that the victim’s child is his.
Coupled with other factors the judge landed at a sentence of 11 years and 4 months for each count of incest. Two of the counts will run consecutively while the others are concurrent, meaning he will spend a total of 22 years and 8 months in prison.
The 100 days he spent on remand will be deducted.
