Court of appeal upholds two rape convictions

(CNS): Two men serving twelve year sentences for rape had their convictions upheld by the Court of Appeal during this latest session. The panel of three appeal court judges dismissed the appeals of both Dwight Wright, who was convicted in December 2012 of raping his former girlfriend, and Tyrone Ebanks, who was convicted in September of 2012 of raping a 14-year-old girl, whom he dragged from a bicycle. The third rape conviction heard by the appeal court this session was over turned on Friday and retrial ordered. Meanwhile, the fourth case of rape that the higher court was scheduled to hear was postponed until the summer session.

Philip Rose was convicted, among other offences, of raping his former girlfriend and was given a 14 year sentence.

The court also allowed Marcus Manderson’s appeal to be put over until the winter session in November as a result of his change of attorney. Manderson, who escaped from prison along with his father and another inmate at HMP Northward last year, is appealing his conviction for possession of an unlicensed firearm. Manderson was given a ten year mandatory minimum sentence when a jury found that the modified flare-gun he had attempted to throw away when being chased by police was a lethal barrel weapon.

A 21-year-old man serving eight years for wounding with intent to do GBH will also have to wait to hear his fate. Justin Ramoon had appealed his conviction for stabbing Andrew Lopez, but with a busy docket over the last two and a half weeks, the appeal court stated that its decision would be delivered in August.