Montserrat’s former chief minister David Brandt has been imprisoned for 15 years after being found guilty on six counts of sexual exploitation on teenage girls and one count of perverting the course of justice.
But Brandt immediately indicated that he intends appealing the sentence, insisting that he had no physical contact with the young girls who were aged between 13 and 15 when the crimes were alleged to have taken place.
“I am not broken. I will not be broken. Do I look like a man broken?” said Brandt, who defended himself during the trial. Brandt, 78, who served as chief minister here from 1997 to 2001, insisted he is confident of winning his appeal and having the verdict reversed.
In sentencing Brandt to prison, Justice Stanley John said that because the charges were so “aggravated” and that Brandt had used his position, most notably as a senior lawyer, a wealthy person and a former chief minister, he was adding 18 months to the sentences that had been imposed on the sexual charges.
The judge took into consideration Brandt’s age, his various illnesses, being immobile and having other medical challenges as well as the 12 months he had been in prison awaiting trial.
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