A MAN who confessed to having sex with his 17-year-old daughter and tried to rape his 14-year-old daughter will be sentenced soon.
The father of six was arraigned yesterday before Justice Stephen Pallaras QC for the three counts of incest and one count of attempted rape.
This followed the presentation of mitigation and sentencing submissions by both the prosecution and the defence counsel.
Justice Pallaras then gave the Crown Prosecutor Nelson Dhita a week to obtain the Victim Impact Statement from the two victims.
He will need to read through the sentencing submissions and mitigation, and the Victim Impact Statement before deciding on a sentence.
No date has been fixed as of yet for the sentencing.
Justice Pallaras told the father that he is expecting a lengthy custodial sentence, where he will spend thinking about the position he had put his family through now that his wife will carry the duty of being a sole bread winner for the family.
The accused told Justice Pallaras he was very sorry for what he did and said he will change his ways.
Whitlam Togamae of Whitlam K Togamae Lawyers asked the court to consider his client’s early guilty plea and the fact that he has no prior convictions.
Crown Prosecutor Mr Dhita asked the court to impose a sentence that will send a message to the public that these offences are unacceptable.
He submitted that the accused was the one who should provide protection for his family but had failed to do so.
“He is the father of the victims and there is a breach of trust.”
The father had on two occasions last year and one occasion this year had sex with his eldest daughter at their village in Isabel.
The court heard he threatened her daughter when she refused and continued to have sex with her.
Once it was heard the accused committed the offence during the day in a room while the victim’s siblings were playing outside their house.
Llast year also tried to have sex with his 14-year-old daughter while she was sleeping in her bedroom at night.
The court heard he was under the influence of liquor when he went into his younger daughter’s bedroom.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
