Valencia “mudman” convicted of repeatedly abusing a 15-year-old boy

Derek Achong

A gypsum “mudman” from Valencia has been convicted of repeatedly buggering a 15-year-old boy, whom he took in after the boy ran away from home over a decade ago.

It took a nine-member jury before Justice Nalini Singh almost an hour to consider the evidence against Nigel Gordon Phillip and to find him guilty at the end of his trial at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain, last Friday.

Phillip was remanded into custody and will remain in prison until Justice Singh sentences him on July 17.
The state accused Phillip of abusing the teenager in March 2015.

According to the evidence presented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Dylan Martin, the teen from Laventille left home after having an argument with his grandmother, whom he lived with.
He went to a fast-food restaurant in downtown Port of Spain where he met several friends.

After his friends left, the teen reportedly had a conversation with Phillip, who was then 37 years old and a customer in the restaurant.

Phillip allegedly invited the teen to his home after hearing that he ran away and had nowhere to go. His grandmother reported him missing later that evening.

When they arrived at Phillip’s home, he directed the teen to lie down on the couch.
The teenager claimed that Phillip repeatedly told him he liked him, but he told Phillip that he had a girlfriend and was “not on that kind of thing”.

He claimed that after resisting Phillip’s advances for several minutes, Phillip overpowered and buggered him.

The skilled labourer allegedly kept the teen at his house for almost two months and buggered him several times. The teen also claimed that Phillip ordered him to clean the house and wash his clothes.
The teenager eventually managed to leave the house and made a report to the police, which led to officers charging Phillip.

The court gave Phillip the option to testify in his defence during the trial and directly challenge the teen’s allegations, but he declined to do so.

Josiah Soo Hon and Khi Cambridge also represented the DPP’s Office.