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alexk
Guest
No mother, family support, education and bad company are a some of the factors in Allison Paul’s life which moulded him into the convicted rapist he is today.
This was submitted by Paul’s attorney Subhas Panday to Justice Maria Wilson who is expected on May 8 to sentence 68-year-old Paul for rape and burglary which occurred in 2006.
Paul, who was also known as Allison Ramsingh and Blacks, was in March found guilty by a jury in the San Fernando Third Criminal Court of burglary with intent to rape and rape of a woman who was then 67 years old.
She died last September at the age of 77. The woman was asleep at her home when Paul broke into the home, threatened, choked and raped the victim.
In his mitigation plea yesterday, Panday said Paul had a difficult upbringing, resulting in him spending 34 years of his life in prison for various offences.
Paul also has a pending rape charge before the court.
Panday said Paul’s mother died when he was six months old and he did not receive support from his father.
Panday said at the age of eight Paul dropped out of school and began working as a fisherboy. He said Paul, who has never even seen a picture of his mother, felt abandoned and alone.
When Paul was 17 years old he moved to Port-of-Spain where his life spiralled downwards.
All these things, he said, could have caused Paul to have deep psychological problems and lose his humanity and respect.
Panday said Paul now has problems with his eyesight, kidney, bladder and stomach.
Asking the court to temper justice with mercy, Panday said at Paul’s age and his health problems he posed no real danger to society.
However, prosecutor Trevor Jones recommended that Paul he sent to jail, after the necessary discounts were applied, to 20 years for the rape and 15 years for the burglary.
Jones said there was a disturbing trend in crimes of robberies and burglaries where female victims were raped.
“In the Caribbean region, we take rape too lightly. Rape leaves a lifelong scar on victims,” said Jones.
He said Paul broke into the woman’s house with the sole intent to rape.
He said the testimony of another woman, who claimed he raped her coupled with his aggressive behaviour in court, showed Paul’s true nature.
“At what point law-abiding citizens must be penalised because someone feels their parents weren’t there for them? This is his (Paul) propensity,” said Jones.