A TEACHER who sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl was successful Monday in having his 20-year prison sentence cut in half.
He is Richard Whyte, 43, of Limit district, Manchester. Mr. Whyte, a teacher at the Spaldings High School, Clarendon, at the time of the incident, had pleaded guilty to the offence on January 31, 2003.
The Court of Appeal, comprising Justice Paul Harrison, Justice Howard Cooke and Justice Karl Harrison, agreed with defence lawyer Debayo Adedipi that the sentence was manifestly excessive, given the fact that Whyte had pleaded guilty to the charge.
10 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT
After hearing legal submissions, the court imposed a sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.
The facts of the case were that sometime between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2001, Mr. Whyte, also called 'Mannie',
sexually assaulted the girl who was under the age of 12. The girl had been spending time with Mr. Whyte and his wife when he committed the offence.
Justice Marva McIntosh
sentenced Whyte after he pleaded guilty in the Manchester Circuit Court.
