By George P. Hassett

A Middlesex County jury today found former Somerville police officer Keith Winfield guilty of raping a 23-month-old child with a hot object. While the verdict was still being read Winfield’s brother John Winfield, 23, of Somerville, stood and shouted threats to the jury. He was escorted out by security and later sentenced to 60 days in the Billerica House of Corrections. At the same time as John Winfield was being escorted out of the courtroom his mother Margaret A. Winfield, 56, of Somerville, ran to where the family of the victim was sitting, pointed at the victim’s mother and screamed "She did it! She did it!" As she screamed and pointed there was no security in the courtroom.

Margaret A. Winfield was later sentenced to 60 hours of community service. The judge called the Winfield’s behavior ‘outrageous’ as he sentenced John and Margaret. As his brother and mother exploded in the courtroom Keith Winfield remained calm.

The courtroom outbursts followed a trial in which two doctors had to repeatedly pause and regain their composure while testifying about the burns and injuries a 23-month-old child received in October 2005. Today a jury decided Keith Winfield was the man responsible for the child’s injuries and found him guilty of rape of a child and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily harm.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. released a statement on the verdict and called the victim’s injuries "horrific."

“There is no greater responsibility we have than to care for and protect our children,” he said. “The injuries to this defenseless victim were absolutely horrific. I want to commend this jury for their thoughtful consideration of the facts before them and for rendering this verdict on behalf of the victim in this case.”