Eric Oniel Strachan will have to wait for the completion of a psychiatric report before learning his sentence for raping his 70-year-old relative last December.
The 26-year-old man was found guilty in September on one count of rape; indecent assault and two counts of attempted rape.
The jury brought back the 6-3 verdict and believed the testimony of the elderly woman of the incident she said occurred on December 10, 2010.
Strachan, who appeared before Senior Justice Hartman Longley Friday morning for what was to be the start of his sentencing hearing, learned, along with the court, that his attorney, Devard Williams, of New Providence, was delayed.
The court also learned that he was scheduled to be on the next flight, due in at midday.
However, when court resumed at 2:00 p.m., Prosecutor Olivia Blatch informed the court that The Crown and defense had received Strachan’s probation report on Wednesday and Attorney Williams had some concerns.
The defense attorney pointed out that “certain things” had been revealed in the probation report and, as a result, he was requesting a psychiatric report in the name of true justice and his client getting any possible treatment.
Referring to a portion of the report, Attorney Williams pointed out where Strachan did not see anything wrong with having sex with his family members because it is how he grew up.
That, the defense lawyer insisted, “is not normal.”
He also noted that his client admitted to having sex with a cousin.
He also eluded to the fact that his client had abused drugs, namely crack cocaine, was sent to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre six times and has had a history of crime, including housebreaking, shop breaking and stealing from a dwelling house.
Justice Longley questioned whether Strachan was psychologically disturbed.
Responding, Williams noted that his client may have a mental problem and said Strachan was not of the correct frame of mind that he would have calculated such an action last December.
Back in September, the 70-year-old woman told the court the sordid details of how Strachan attacked her on the living-room sofa, dragged her down the hall to his bedroom, performed sexual acts on her and raped her.
She said she screamed and tried to fight him off, but was too weak and feared she was going to die.
The two lived at a home in Andros Town, Eight Mile Rock at the time with Strachan’s mother and boyfriend and were alone that night.
When Strachan’s mother returned home that night, she busted through his bedroom door, found the two together and left the room screaming.
Strachan was arrested later that night.
He told the court he did have sexual intercourse with the elderly woman, but it was consensual.
In fact, he said, he had not long before come home from a bar that night, tipsy, when she began fondling his genitals while both of them sat on the sofa drinking gin.
Strachan claimed it was the elderly woman who suggested they go into his room to have sex and told him to hurry before his mother returned.
Strachan’s mother also took the stand.
The matter is adjourned to November 29, when the psychiatric report is expected to be in.
By Lededra Marche
Freeport News Senior Reporter
