A 12-member jury, on Friday, found Thurston Semple guilty of raping and brutally assaulting a 30-year-old Venezuelan sex worker in 2021.

Semple was on trial before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Demerara High Court. The matter before the court was that, between February 24-25, 2021, he allegedly committed the rape which led to an assault causing bodily harm.

After a two-hour deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict on each charge.

The case has been adjourned to April 29 when a probation report, in favour of Semple, will be presented. Sentencing will follow.

Prosecutors Nafeeza Baig, Muntaz Ali, and Latifah Elliot presented the State’s case, while attorney Everton Lammy-Singh is on record for Semple.

According to reports, Semple picked up the sex worker from a city hotel and took her to his home after agreeing to pay her $10,000. The now-convicted man and the victim then had sexual intercourse at the home.

He became annoyed when the woman told him that he had 15 minutes remaining with her. Semple then walked into the kitchen and returned with a knife. At that time the woman was dressing.
He told her that she “wasn’t going anywhere.” In response she told him to keep the money and that she will leave peacefully.

However, Semple grabbed her hair, placed the knife to her neck and forced her to perform oral sex on him. When she stopped sometime later, he slapped her.
When he turned away to get the water she had asked for, the woman scrambled whatever clothes she could find and jumped through a glass window.

However, Semple ran behind her and grabbed her by her hair. The victim recounted that she was naked and that Semple held on to her and stabbed her.

She managed to hold on to the knife. The enraged Semple began beating her with a plastic tube filled with cement. The victim said that someone who was walking by, stopped and asked him what happened, and he said “nothing.” However, she cried out for help telling the person that she was a prostitute.

The victim said that she subsequently gathered strength and jumped the fence and persons came to her rescue. Sometime after, the police came and arrested Semple.

Under caution, Semple had reportedly told the police, “Officer I did had sex with her. I pay her for the service, and she refuse to do what I asked and I assaulted her in her face with a PVC pipe.”