JUSTICE Brassington Reynolds, on Tuesday, sentenced convicted rapist, Beesham Gopaul called Thakoor to twelve years imprisonment.The penalty was imposed at the Berbice Assizes after a probation report and a plea in mitigation were presented to the court.
The judge noted that the act of rape robs one of their dignity and castigated the prisoner for violating the victim whom he knew from his childhood.
For the sentencing, the judge started at 20 years but deducted eight for the non-commissioning of physically violent offences, family circumstances and trial attendance.
In her report, Senior Probation Officer, Voonashwarie Gopal said the convict is the only child for his parents who died while he was three years old.
Consequently, he left school at eight years of age and commenced working as a labourer with his brother-in-law in the latter’s rice field.
Hot tempered
However, while his relatives have described him as a quiet person, neighours said he is hot tempered and has had several brushes with the law.
A report obtained from the police revealed that the convict faced two charges of break and enter and simple larceny which were instituted at Springlands Station, Corentyne, also in Berbice.
Defence counsel, Carolyn Artiga had suggested rehabilitation through counselling and other skills training, which will enable the prisoner to make a meaningful contribution to society.
Earlier, being led by State Prosecutor, Renita Singh, the married teenager recalled that it was about 13:30hrs she was in a hammock watching television whilst breastfeeding her three months old baby when she was attacked, on June 24, 2008, at Number 73 Village, Corentyne.
In tears, she recounted to the jury how she felt something like a metal to the front of her neck before hearing someone, using expletives, say: “Don’t move or else I will kill you and the baby.”
The person then instructed her to leave the baby in the hammock and get up. After complying with the instruction, she was taken to her kitchen where a knife was placed to her neck and it was then that she realised the previous object was a metal file.
The attacker then demanded all the gold and money and, under duress, took her to the bedroom where, from the wardrobe he collected, two gold chains, four gold bands, a pair of gold bangles, ten gold rings, three pairs gold earrings as well as $10,000 cash, making a total loss of $265,000.
The virtual complainant related that, during the ordeal, her hands were tied behind her back with her baby’s napkin and ordered to lie on the bed and she complied.
After her underwear had been removed, she saw it was the accused whom she knew and had known for ten years previously.
Sexual encounter
She said the man remained armed with the knife and stood at the side of her matrimonial bed, prior to inserting his penis into her vagina for the sexual encounter that lasted about ten minutes.
After putting back on his clothes which he had taken off, the woman said the rapist told her to remain in the room and threatened to kill the baby if she shouted.
The victim said, as the rapist exited her bedroom, he picked up her $30,000 cellular phone and took it with him.
The mother of two told the court that she remained motionless for about ten minutes before picking up her baby and hurrying off to her mother’s home a few doors away, where she related what had happened.
Accompanied by her mother and husband they went to Springlands Police Station where the crime was reported and a subsequent medical examination was conducted by a doctor at the Skeldon Public Hospital.
In response to defence counsel, Artiga, the witness said she opted to tell her mother and not her neighbour although the latter lived closer.
The neighbour lived in front of her three bedroom, one-flat building, which was, at the time, surrounded by bushes.
After the report was made, she recalled that just over an hour later, the police arrested the accused, who was still dressed in a blue and green stripe shirt, a green hat, a pair of black pants and a similar colour boots.