Archibald awaits his fate

November 6, 2009 is one date that Alex Archibald is not looking forward to. That is when he will be sentenced on an unlawful sex charge.{{more}}

Archibald, 19, pleaded guilty on Friday, October 2, 2009, at the High Court in Kingstown to having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 between March 31 and May 1, 2008, at Yambou. He, however, pleaded not guilty to a similar charge that allegedly occurred on May 9, 2008. The prosecution withdrew that charge.

The court heard that the girl met the defendant at church in Yambou, where they became friends and initially exchanged telephone numbers. Sometime in April, Archibald telephoned the girl and told her he wanted to see her.

Archibald went to the girl’s house and gained entry to the house through her bedroom window. He then had sex with her. Sometime after the girl’s mother found out about the relationship between Archibald and her child. The matter was reported to the police.

In a plea of mitigation, Archibald’s counsel, Jaundy Martin, urged the court to consider that he’s a young offender and that he did not waste the court’s time by going through a trial. He pleaded with the court not to impose a custodial sentence since he is still a youngster who lives at home with his mother. “He’s working as a blockmaker and he is very much involved in the church in his area,” Martin noted.

Presiding Judge Gertel Thom ordered that a probation report be submitted to the court on or before October 30 to assist in sentencing.(KW)