THE COURT of Appeal has thrown out the appeal of two men who were convicted of holding up a woman at gunpoint at her house and raping her.
Tafari Washington, 33, and Peter 'Peanut' Campbell, 35, both of 5 Castlelight Close, Kingston 8, will each serve 15 years' imprisonment at hard labour for rape and 10 years' imprisonment for illegal possession of firearm. The sentences are to run concurrently so they will each serve 15 years.
The men had appealed against their convictions on the ground that the identification evidence was weak. The Court of Appeal ruled yesterday that the men had no arguable ground of appeal.
THREE OTHER MEN
Evidence was given at the trial last year that on July 26, 1999 the complainant and her boyfriend had just returned home from a party when Washington called them. They went outside where she saw Washington and three other men, including Campbell.
Campbell, who asked for money to buy cigarettes, forced her into her room. She began making noise and Washington entered the room, pointed a gun at her and told her to shut up.
She said that Campbell, Washington and another man raped her. She said she had known Washington and Campbell for several years as they all lived in the same community.
In their defence, the two men said at their trial that they were not in the area at the time the crime was alleged to have been committed.
Campbell admitted five previous convictions after he was convicted.
