Trinidadian to hang for rape and murder of teen and aunt
The 16-year-old was strangled with her school belt on her way home, while her 40-year-old relative was attacked and killed less than a month later.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday November 11, 2013, CMC – Eight years after a 16-year-old schoolgirl and her aunt were raped and murdered, a High Court in South Trinidad has sentenced 40-year-old Paul Vincent to be executed for their murders.
Justice Mark Mohammed described the case as “one of the heaviest and most demanding in our courts for several years”.
Vincent was charged with raping and murdering Pixie Lakhan, 16, and her aunt Taramatie Toolsie, 40 in 2005 near their home in Siparia.
In his confession statement to police, the accused said that he grabbed Lakhan as she was walking toward her home. He dragged the girl into the bushes where he raped her six times. He then took the teen’s white school belt, formed it into a noose, placed it around her neck and pulled the noose tight until Pixie stopped breathing.
The schoolgirl was attacked on March 22, 2005 and her skeletal remains were found on April 22.
Toolsie, a janitor, was raped and strangled between April 15 and 18 in 2005.
The trial lasted six months and following the guilty verdicts, Vincent’s mother, Jean Campbell, told reporters, “I leave it in the hands of God.”
She said she had spoken to her son following the verdicts and he was solemn.
“He didn’t say anything much,” she added.
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