The prosecutor in the case against the pastor and two members of his family who poured a hot liquid on the man, has described their actions as “barbaric”.
“The seriousness of the crime, your honour, to my mind, it is barbaric to have poured hot water on a human being; inhumane. I am recommending a custodial sentence,” Senior Prosecutor, Adolphus Delplesche said at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“And I am not recommending a short, sharp shock… I am recommending a custodial sentence that would reflect the seriousness of this offence,” he said.
On Monday, Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett returned a guilty verdict in the case in which Pastor Nigel Morgan, his wife, Althia, and their daughter, Krystal, were charge with inflicting grievous bodily harm on Victory at Hopewell, Mesopotamia on April 9, 2016.
In his submission on sentencing, Delplesche noted that the two-year trial has been long and tedious.
He noted that the magistrate has wide sentencing powers, ranging from remanding and discharging to imprisonment.
Delplesche said that the principles of sentencing say that the sentence must reflect the seriousness of the offence.
“I say to you, your honour that this matter is a serious matter and it ought to be so treated.”
He said that in his opinion a reprimand and discharge or a bond was out of the question.
In response, defence counsel, Kay Bacchus-Baptiste told the court that she was clear in her earlier submission and never suggested a bond.
The lawyer said that given the facts of the case, the sentence must be a fine and a custodial sentence.
She, however, said that when the age and “impeccable characters” of the defendants are considered, “What purpose would be served by sending them to prison? …
“How would the community benefit?” Bacchus-Baptiste said, adding that her clients don’t need to be rehabilitated.
The lawyer further told the court that sentencing is not retribution, adding that the case is clearly one where a custodial sentence was not necessary, despite the seriousness of the offence.
However, Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett said that considering the principles of sentencing and his own precedent — having jailed other people for the same offence — he was sending each of the Morgans to prison for four years.
If the Magistrate does not send them to prison, how will they learn that even if they are slaughtering an animal, they have to kill it first before pouring hot water to remove the feathers or the skin. That is basic. Victory is a human being. If one of them had the idea of grievous bodily harm; another should have said NO. They are beyond “barbaric” I think they have mental problems. Kay said that “cost” prevented her from moving the case to another jurisdiction- where could she have moved it to? Aren’t people the same everywhere? SMH!
Mrs Morgan appears like she’s feeling the effects of incarceration , I wonder how they feel ? Now they’ve no freedom .
In all the chatter and examination of this case itself, no one has yet ask of the competence of the Pastor himself in Church affairs. This sad story was a dreadful tragedy waiting to happen.
One could walk the length and breadth of this country, and one will be very hard pressed to find competence, when it comes to those involved in pastoring any given Church here.
All one gets here is nothing short of a Sunday Disco with church services having little to do with Standard Biblical doctrines.
Both Pastors and Church members here, being utterly clueless, as to what the Bible really teaches. All however engaging themselves in just an ear-splitting, riotous and noisy Sunday Party, but calling the same, a Sunday Service. What a difference to traditional Church Doctrine.
For sure Christianity here and church doctrines here have departed from Biblical Christianity:
( http://www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip.htm )
A system of theology was reaffirmed by the Synod of Dordt in 1619.
( http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/ )
Those who conduct Church gatherings here and calling themselves Pastors, could yet do with reading a copy of Professor Louis Berkhof book on Systematic theology.
( https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/systematic-theology-louis-berkhof )
Perhaps after these events, all church goers here, may now begin to examine, what they hear and whom they hear it from. It is just not good enough to participate, without first an examination of both the Pastors and their questionable doctrines.