Trinidad man jailed 18 years for raping runaway teen in Port of Spain
A Trinidad High Court sentenced Nigel Gordon Phillip, 48, to 18 years for repeatedly raping a 15-year-old runaway boy he befriended in 2015.
18-year prison term for man convicted of repeatedly abusing runaway teen
A High Court judge in Trinidad sentenced a 48-year-old man to 18 years in prison on Friday after a jury found him guilty of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old boy he had taken into his home, the Jamaica Observer reports.
Nigel Gordon Phillip was convicted in June on two charges of buggery following a prosecution covering the period April to May 2015. Justice Nalani Singh ordered the sentences to run consecutively rather than concurrently, resulting in a combined term of 18 years rather than nine.
The court heard that the teenage victim had left his Laventille home after an argument with his grandmother over his refusal to enrol in the Military-Led Academic Training (MiLAT) programme. He made his way to a fast food restaurant in Port of Spain, where he encountered Phillip — then 38 — who, upon learning the boy had nowhere to go, invited him to stay at his house.
According to the victim, Phillip overpowered and abused him shortly after they arrived. Phillip kept the teenager at his home for nearly two months, during which the abuse occurred on multiple occasions. The victim also alleged he was made to clean the house and do laundry, and that Phillip arranged employment for him at a nearby supermarket, later demanding he hand over his wages.
The teenager, who turned 16 while living at Phillip's home, eventually escaped and reported the matter to police, resulting in Phillip's arrest.
In determining the sentence, Justice Singh set a starting point of 11 years, citing the victim's age, his vulnerability, and the degree of control Phillip had assumed over him. "That created a considerable imbalance in age, maturity, resources, and control," she said. "The prisoner's exploitation of the position which he had assumed materially increases the seriousness of each offence."
Singh noted that Phillip — who had worked as a security officer, Spanish tutor, and football coach — had no prior criminal record. He was also in a long-term relationship and financially supported a 16-year-old child. "His previous good character, employment history, and family support justify a meaningful but measured reduction," she said.
Nonetheless, the judge ruled consecutive sentencing was appropriate. "Having considered both the individuality of the offences and their factual connection, I am satisfied that an aggregate sentence of 18 years properly reflects the prisoner's overall criminality and is not disproportionate or excessive," Justice Singh said.
Source: Jamaica Observer