SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:

A music teacher who buggered a 14-year-old schoolboy was sentenced to five years at hard labour, in the St. Catherine Circuit court, yesterday.

The man, Michael Beckford of Greater Portmore, St. Catherine, was said to have committed the act in June, last year. He reportedly followed the child onto a bus to a certain point, before asking the child for his father. Beckford told the boy that he had a Nintendo game and US$200 to give to his father and that the child should have followed him to his house for the game and cash.

Threatened to kill boy

When the child complied, he ordered him to take off his pants and buggered him. He then threatened to kill him if he told anyone. The child was then told to return and he committed the act again. The father of the juvenile saw him acting strangely, summoned the police, and Beckford was arrested and charged with buggery.

He was found guilty by a seven-member jury. High Court Judge Ingrid Mangatal then sentenced Beckford to serve two five-year prison terms to run concurrently, so he will only serve five years.

- Rasbert Turner