Two plead guilty to sex offences charges

Two men will return to the Roseau High Court on Friday April 29, 2016 for sentencing on sex related matters.

The two pleaded guilty at their arraignment before Justice Errol Thomas when the April 2016 session of the criminal court began on Tuesday April 12.

One pleaded guilty to indecent assault on an eight-year old girl within the Roseau area on December 5, 2010; and the other pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl 15 years three months old between August 1 and August 31, 2014.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Evelina Baptiste withdrew three other charges of indecent assault against the second prisoner.

The court awaits a social inquiry report from the Welfare Division to assist Judge Thomas in arriving at appropriate sentences. Whatever nominal sentence the judge arrives at will be reduced by a minimum one-third.

Bench Warrant

Judge Thomas allowed a bench warrant application from State Attorney Sherma Dalrymple for the arrest of Keith Eustace Bougouneau. Bougouneau failed to show for his arraignment on April 12.

According to the police officer attached to the DPP's Office, efforts to serve Bougouneau at his home, workplace and business connections in the city of Roseau proved futile.

Dalrymple added that the defendant had been committed for trial at the High Court's next session at the end of the preliminary inquiry at a Magistrate Court into the allegations against the defendant on Tuesday February 16, 2016.

The police officer who is attached to the DPP's Office could tell the court that Bougouneau, according to embarkation records at the Douglas-Charles Airport left Dominica that same February 16 for a holiday to St Thomas and had not returned up to Tuesday April 12 at 10:00am. The surety for the accused was also absent from court thus there was another application from the State Attorney for her presence in court to argue why the bail sum should not be forfeited.

The matter was adjourned to April 25.

The DPP Office proposed dates for the seven murder cases between May 3 and July 11, 2016. The case are against Shane Degallerie for the death of Justin Julian Joseph at Pottersville in April of 2010; Vivian Charles – for Richard Roy Langlais at Laudat in February 2013; Asher James – for Kenny George at Wotton Waven September 2013; Reginald Mann – for Glenroy Lockhart at Bath Estate December 2013; Mackenly Williams – for Dwight Auguiste at Kings Hill December 2013; Mitchel Toussaint – for Alexis Toussaint at Bense November 2011; and Daniel Elton Bannis as well as for some other cases including seven sex-related.

Degallerie is being retried because the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on an appeal determined that the trial judge in the High Court made some errors.