Pastor appeals 40-yr sentence on rape conviction

Feb 23, 2018 News

Andrew Hannibal

An appeal has been filed on behalf of Andrew Hannibal, the pastor who was convicted and sentenced to spend forty years in prison for having sexual intercourse with an underage female.
Hannibal, 46, of Bennett Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a mixed jury in the Berbice High Court.
In his notice to appeal filed by attorneys Andranauth Gossai and Mursaline Bacchus, Pastor Hannibal is contending that at the summing up of his trial, the Judge ignored a number of discrepancies in the evidence presented in the matter.
The appellant is arguing that the Judge failed to direct the jury on pertinent evidence presented in the trial including inconsistencies about the location and layout of the room that the act is alleged to have been committed and on matters of the medical certificate.
The court heard that the Pastor had taken advantage of a child he was reportedly counseling and had sex with her.
The case which lasted two days saw Justice Kissoon summing up the evidence for the jury and directing them to the aspects of the law.
The jury subsequently retired to consider the evidence before returning with a unanimous verdict of guilty.
Justice Kissoon then handed down the 40-year sentence.
The preliminary inquiry was conducted before Magistrate Rhondell Weaver at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court. The matter was called three times where the committal statements were read in the magistrate’s court. The Pastor was given a chance to respond to those statements but did not.

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