Guilty as charged.

Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others; it has no single-word English equivalent. Now, I tend not to have schadenfreude but I do take pleasure in the misfortunate nomenclature that some people have to deal with.

Today, July 31, a jury found a pastor, Jippy Doyle, guilty of raping a teenage girl several years ago; she was one of his parishioners and is now in her twenties (the story is reported in the Nation on August 1). He was due to spend time initially at Dodd's Prison, in St. Philip. The case had a number of highlights, which had caught people's attention:

• The fact that this pastor had felt it appropriate to greet the then 13-year-old at his home just wearing a towel ... "Is wha' kin' o' ministerin' he plan to gi' she?"
• His defence included that he was not at the scene of the crime at all but at his mother's home in Sweet Vale ... "He t'ink he and de gal in sweet vale..." But sweetness seems to be a feature of the whole story...
• After he had kissed the girl and had sex with her, he gave her a bag of sweets (I kid you not) and B$20 (for what, cab fare or services rendered?) ... "Sweets for daze!"

Some friends, with whom I was liming as usual on Thursday evening, could not help themselves and try to come up with some waggish comments:

• "Poor ol' Jippy; he acted like a gyp and he goin' get gyp now." [a gyp is a fraudster or means to swindle or cheat]
• "I don' know if he goin' t'ink that being up at Dodd's go gi' hi' any fillip. He might fin' a Philip who is no saint sharing who go gi' hi'. Heh-hey!"
• "After a nite wi' some o' de boys in prison, ol' Jippy goin' be doddering fi true. Heh-hey!"
  

The story also indicates that the pastor started his church in the Stables at Queen's Park, St. Michael:

• "Well, you can understand how, wi' a start like dat, de preacher good at horse play."

Finally, the founder of Dominion Life Centre, will not be having any "Miracle Services" on Wednesday. He will be on Her Majesty's Service:

• "Someone may show hi wha' i' mean to serve de queen. Heh-hey!"
• "He goin' need de service of a miracle hi'self."
  

Press reports indicate that when asked if he had anything to say before the judge went to sentencing, Mr. Doyle shook his head and said "No". Well, we know now that "No" means no, right?

The judge agreed that sentencing be postponed pending a pre-sentence report. I understand that an appeal is being prepared.