Lewis and Clarke down for 10 count

She said they held her hands and legs and had turns having sex with her, now the men who were convicted on Wednesday at the High Court for raping a 32-year-old New Prospect woman are behind bars for the next 10 years.{{more}}

Kendall Clarke, 21, labourer of New Prospect and 26-year-old Edwin Lewis also of New Prospect were slapped with 10-year prison sentences after a nine-member jury consisting of one man and eight women returned a guilty verdict.

The third man charged, Suggie Thomas, 21, labourer of New Prospect was found not guilty of the charge.

On November 3 last year, the woman said she was at the “Hot Iron” bar in New Prospect where the defendants also were. She said later that night at about 2am, Thomas accompanied her home. She said she entered her house and noticed that Thomas came inside too, so she told him to leave. The woman further stated that she went into her bedroom and got undressed because she thought he had left the house. She said while in the bedroom Thomas came in and asked for sex and she said no. She told the court that she then saw the two other men appear and they threw her on the bed. She said they held her by her hands and legs and had sex with her in turns. The woman said she pleaded the most with Lewis to stop because she knew him from since he was a child and that he was related to her sister’s husband.

She added that after they had finished raping her, she ran back to the bar in her towel and told a relative about what had just happened.

In Thomas’ evidence, he said that he was at the Bar having a nice time dancing and drinking with the woman and others. After dancing for sometime, Thomas said he asked the woman for wife (sex) and she said she wanted $150 for it.

Thomas said when they arrived at her house, she asked if he wasn’t coming inside. He said the woman went into the bedroom and he followed her. Thomas added that they both got undressed and started to have sex.

He said that at about eight minutes later he heard a noise at the door and saw Kendal Clarke. Thomas then got his clothes and went outside to dress himself. Thomas said he heard whispering in the bedroom and saw Clarke and the woman “sexing.”

In Clarke’s testimony, he said that he went to the woman’s house by himself where he met Thomas having sex with her. Clarke told the court that he only had sex with her after Thomas was finished then returned to “Hot iron’s bar.”

In a strange twist, Edwin Lewis said when he got to the woman’s house; he met Thomas having sex with the lady. Lewis then changed his words to say he never met anyone there. He said after he finished having sex with the woman he paid her $50, which she refused.

The woman also noted in her evidence that she was having her menstrual flow and did not agree to have sex with anyone and did not ask for any money for sex.

The defendants also claimed that the woman said she wanted $3,000 each if they did not offer her an apology.

The men however maintained that the sex was consensual.