Crump in Court /photo CNN
EX-British Police Officer Convicted of Rape in Antigua May Have to Return to the UK To Serve Out Rest of His Sentence
Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin discussed the complex case of Lee Martin-Cramp, a former Metropolitan Police officer serving a 15-year sentence in Antigua for raping an AUA student. CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATS APP GROUP
Speaking in Parliament today Benjamin highlighted the government’s stance on not granting preferential treatment despite the delicate diplomatic circumstances surrounding Martin-Cramp’s incarceration.
Lee Martin-Cramp, who was sentenced in 2019, had been found guilty of raping a foreign student in May 2015 while attending a family wedding in Antigua.
The court heard how Martin-Cramp exploited his position as a police officer to gain the trust of his victim before committing the crime.
The Attorney General expressed concerns over the optics of Martin-Cramp receiving special treatment due to his background and the nature of his crime.
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Crump is housed at the former US Naval base as per the terms of his extradition to Antigua and not at His Majesty’s Prison with other inmates.
Benjamin stated, “We cannot be seen to have reached the terms upon which he was returned. We cannot be seen, despite the agreement, to give him preferential treatment.”
He emphasized that although there are legal provisions for Martin-Cramp to serve his sentence in England, the decision ultimately rests with the convict, who seems reluctant to transfer.
WATCH THE AG’S REMARKS HIN THE YOUTUBE CLIP BELOW:
Benjamin’s remarks also shed light on Martin-Cramp’s hesitance to return to the UK, likely due to the uncomfortable prospect of being alongside former colleagues from the police force.
“In England, he’d be meeting his own police friends, those people with whom he worked, and he doesn’t really want to pursue it and go back to England,” explained Benjamin.
The Attorney General also indicated that if Martin-Cramp unreasonably withholds his consent to return to the UK, he may have no choice but to enforce the transfer, despite his personal reservations about violating the terms of any agreement.
“I shouldn’t be saying this because I’m the AG and I must honor the agreement to be made, but we cannot be seen to be preferential,” Benjamin stated, highlighting the delicate balance of justice and diplomatic relations involved.
“He may have to return,” Benjamin told parliament.
Martin-Cramp had previously claimed being sent to the Caribbean would breach his human rights. He tried to block an extradition request to the island, claiming detention in its notorious 18th century prison would be inhumane.
But in a legal first, West Indian authorities convinced a London judge to sign off his extradition with an extraordinary accommodation deal.
They agreed to house Martin-Cramp on a former US airbase with air-conditioning, a fridge and an en-suite bathroom.
The set-up is a far cry from the squalid interior of 1735, Antigua and Barbuda’s national prison, named after the year it was built.
Its harsh conditions, appalling overcrowding and corruption among guards has drawn criticism from the United Nations and US State Department.
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