The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN challenging his Supreme Court sentence last year for having sex with an 11-year-old girl, will be assigned counsel at the expense of the public’s purse.

Alexander McPhee, who was unanimously convicted by a nine-member jury last December, admitted to Appeal Court judges yesterday that he did not have the resources to afford counsel to argue his appeal against a 39 months jail term at Her Majesty’s Prison.

He asked the Court of Appeal for assistance in getting him an attorney to prosecute his case against his sentence. The request was granted.

According to testimony by the complainant, who is now 12, the abuse took place every night for a seven-month period between July 2006 and February 2007.

Law enforcement officers were notified when the matter was reported on February 21, 2007 by the girl’s mother and grandmother.

McPhee was sentenced to seven years in prison in May 2012.

However, Justice Vera Watkins, who presided over the matter, subtracted his time on remand, resulting in his prison terms being reduced to a little more than three years.

In yesterday’s proceedings, McPhee’s case number was announced and he went to the criminal appellant’s seat facing Justices Anita Allen, Stanley John and Abdulai Conteh.

It was the appeal court president, Justice Allen, who addressed him.

“Do you have counsel?” Justice Allen asked.

“No ma’am,” the convict answered.

“Do you intend to instruct counsel in arguing your appeal?” the judge pressed.

McPhee answered, however, the judges, who did not hear what he said, asked him to speak up.

“If I could be allowed an attorney,” McPhee began, before being cut off by Justice Allen’s next question.

“Are you asking to be assigned an attorney?” she asked.

“Yes,” McPhee said.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I don’t have no law books to argue my…” the McPhee began before Justice John suggested that “you don’t have the means is what you are telling us?”

“Yes,” McPhee answered.

“How many years were you sentenced to?” Justice Allen asked him.

“I was sentenced to three years and three months,” the appellant answered.

“The victim, was it a child..a minor?” the court president asked.

“Yes,” the appellant answered.

When McPhee could not accurately answer when he was convicted and later sentenced for the crime, the judges turned to prosecutor Vernal Collie for assistance.

Mr Collie’s files indicated that McPhee was convicted on December 1, 2011 and sentenced in March of this year, though his sentence was handed down in May.

“We are going to assign counsel at the public’s expense to prosecute the appeal,” said Justice Allen. “And we are going to adjourn this to the 5th of November for status hearing.”