A Central Trinidad man convicted for his involvement in a brutal 2000 kidnapping and robbery case has commenced his prison term after the Court of Appeal dismissed his challenge against conviction and sentence. Anderson Bonaparte, who remained on bail since August 2023 during appellate proceedings, was returned to custody on December 1 to serve his revised term of just over ten years, with credit applied for time previously spent in remand.
Bonaparte faced convictions in November 2022 for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and aggravated robbery stemming from the November 2000 incident. The trial had resulted in acquittals on rape and assault-with-intent-to-rob charges after then-High Court Judge Carla Brown-Antoine upheld a no-case submission on those counts.
In his appeal, Bonaparte contended through his attorney Peter Carter that the trial judge improperly directed the jury on offense elements, effectively usurping their deliberative function. He further challenged the admission of evidence regarding co-accused Owusu Williams’ guilty plea and claimed prejudice from jury exposure to dismissed charges.
The appellate panel comprising Justices Charmaine Pemberton, Gillian Lucky, and Vasheist Kokaram rejected all grounds. While identifying a sentencing calculation error that reduced Bonaparte’s penalties for false imprisonment and aggravated robbery by one year each, the court maintained the ten-year kidnapping sentence.
Justice Pemberton utilized the ruling to delineate judicial responsibilities, emphasizing that prosecutors must respect accused persons’ rights while defense counsel should vigorously challenge state evidence without compromising systemic integrity. The court specifically commended trial judge Brown-Antoine for her comprehensive jury directions.
The case originated from the abduction of a call center employee and two coworkers awaiting transport in Chaguaramas. While the coworkers escaped, the victim was forced into Bonaparte’s hired car at weapon-point by Williams and accomplices, blindfolded, transported to Central Trinidad where she was sexually assaulted by multiple perpetrators, and abandoned in Cunupia. Bonaparte’s girlfriend subsequently alerted police, leading to the victim’s rescue.