50-year-old fathered child of 13-year-old girl

A 50-year-old man who fathered the child of a 13-year-old girl was on June 22, 2011, sentenced to 15 years in prison on three counts of rape.{{more}}

Just before Justice Frederick Bruce-Lyle passed sentenced on Greggs resident Gladstone Thomas, he pleaded with the judge to spare him a jail sentence.

“I want to be home with my kids. I don’t want them to drop out of school. I am asking you to send me home, please,” begged Thomas.

Thomas, who had been charged with four counts of rape, was sentenced to 15 years on three of the counts, as one charge was withdrawn by the prosecution. The sentences will run concurrently.

Thomas had initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea when the matter re-commenced on Wednesday.

In her testimony on Tuesday, June 20, the girl, now 14, gave details about how she was raped a total of four times between May 31, 2009 and September 30, 2009.

She told the court that that she had gone to stay with her aunt because her mother worked shifts because of her job.

The girl related that she slept on the floor next to her aunt and her cousins, at her aunt’s house.

The girl recalled that one night, she opened her eyes and saw Thomas over her. She said that he pulled off her panties; placed her face in the pillow and raped her. “I was screaming all the time and when he done, he tell me if I tell anybody he will deny it,” the girl testified.

She said that ordeal lasted about two minutes.

On the second occasion, she said she was again at her aunt’s house because her mother had to work the night shift. She said when she went to bed, Thomas again placed her face in a pillow, raped her and told her he would deny it if she said anything.

That ordeal, she said, lasted close to two minutes.

On the third occasion, the girl said she was at home lying on her stomach reading a book when Thomas then again jumped on her; placed her face in the sponge and had sex with her.

This incident lasted four minutes and he did what he did on the two previous occasion – told her he would deny if she told anyone.

On the fourth occasion, the girl said she came home from school because she was feeling ill. She said, shortly after taking a bath, Thomas again came and had sex with her.

The girl, who had to be told several times to speak loudly, told the court she never said anything about the matter because she was afraid that her mother would beat her.

She said she had never had sex before the incidents with Thomas.

Some time after, the girl’s mother took her for a pregnancy test, which revealed that she was 26 weeks pregnant.

In cross examination, Thomas, who was unrepresented, asked the girl, “Can I hold your head down in a pillow and you scream and nobody ain’t hear?”

It was also revealed that Thomas was the one who arranged for a DNA test to be done to ascertain if he was indeed the father of the child. The results, read out in court, revealed that he was indeed the father of the child.

Halfway through questioning the girl, Thomas complained of headaches.

“Your Lordship, me head ah hut me; Me head bunning me,” he said.

The matter had to be adjourned.

“I am asking you to give me a chance. I don’t want my children to end up on the streets,” Thomas continued.

Bruce-Lyle asked Thomas, “What about the little girl? You’re thinking about your kids alone…This young girl was put in your care and your broke the mother’s trust. If you mess with young girls you are going to prison,” Bruce-Lyle said sternly.