Jamaica: Taxi Operator Sentenced to 24 Years for assaulting Student

Jamaica: A 65-year-old man was sentenced to 24 years and nine months in prison on Friday, May 8, after being found guilty of raping a 19-year-old student. He was also convicted of forcible abduction, indecent assault, and grievous sexual assault at the St Catherine Circuit Court.

The accused has been identified as 65-year-old Hubert Fletcher, a Toyota Probox taxi operator from Jamaica. The accused is a resident of Central Village in St Catherine, Jamaica. 

According to police reports, the accused appeared before the St Catherine Circuit Court on Friday, for the charges including rape, forcible abduction, indecent assault, and grievous sexual assault, where he was found guilty of all. 

Reportedly, the man was presented before the justice where he was read all counts of offences and found guilty of all following which the justice gave his verdict and sentenced him for each offence separately. 

The justice sentenced him 24 years and nine months in prison for rape, 14 years and nine months for forcible abduction, 12 years and nine months for indecent assault, and 24 years and nine months for grievous sexual assault.

However, the justice stated that all the punishment will run concurrently which means all the the sentences will run at the same time and the accused Fletcher will only serve 24 years and nine months in prison. The justice also imposed some conditions on the accused’s parole, stating that the accused must serve at least 10 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. 

Notably, the case stems from the incident that occurred back in October 13, 2021, when the accused was operating his taxi along the Portmore to Half-Way Tree route where the victim boarded the vehicle.  During the ride, Fletcher  suddenly placed an object against the woman’s side and diverted to a section of Port Henderson Road, commonly referred to as 'Back Road' in Portmore, where he sexually assaulted her against her will. 

Following which the female later filed a police complaint which led the investigation into the matter by the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, which later resulted in the arrest of the accused. 

The conviction of the accused made the aggrieved family and citizens relieved as many people were waiting for his conviction after he got arrested. Many people also took to Facebook to express their thoughts as one of the users Diana commented “Great! I hope others with that intention will take stock of the sentence. It should be longer.”