146 years jail for gang-raping woman

THREE men, described by a San Fernando High Court judge as “vicious and rabid,” were yesterday sentenced to a total of 146 years imprisonment a week after the trio was found guilty of kidnapping and gang-raping a woman in a Couva cane field in 2000. “There can be no doubt that the rape of a woman by a single man is a direful and odious matter. Gang-rape, however, stands at the apex of predatory behaviour. A weak, terrified and defenceless female is preyed upon by a gang of vicious, rabid men. This is the Serengeti in living colour,” a clearly upset Justice Baird stated as he passed the sentence. The accused remained silent as the judge read out their sentences: Kevin Boyce and Otis Samuel (both 27 and from Cunupia) and Thomas Austin, 37, of Arouca.

Boyce was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with hard labour for rape. With three previous convictions for larceny, he was also given two five-year jail terms for indecent assault and committing serious indecency on the woman. He was then sentenced to 15 years with hard labour on the kidnapping charge. Samuel was sentenced to 30 and 15 years for raping and kidnapping the woman respectively. He was also slapped with two five-year jail sentences for the serious and indecent assault charges. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, and Boyce will serve 30 years behind bars. Austin was sentenced to 20 years on the rape charge and three two-year jail terms for serious indecency, indecent assault and committing buggery. On the kidnapping charge, he was sentenced to ten years  hard labour. The sentences will run concurrently and Austin will serve 20 years in prison.

Last week Tuesday, the three were found guilty of kidnapping the woman and her then boyfriend at the Lady Young lookout in Morvant. The victims was taken to Couva where the man was locked in the trunk of the defendants’ car while the woman was gang-raped. During the trial, the jury heard that the couple were about to leave the lookout on the morning of February 17, 2000, but as the two got into their jeep, the three men pulled up in a silver Mazda car. The jury heard the testimony of the 27-year-old woman who told the nine-member jury that the accused men forced her and her boyfriend into their car. The rapists drove the couple from Morvant to a cane field in Couva, the woman testified. There, they locked her boyfriend in the trunk of the car before Boyce threw her on the bonnet of the car while another of the accused attempted to rape her, but she resisted. State attorney Narissa Ramsundar led evidence from the woman that with Samuel brandishing a cutlass, Boyce threw her on the ground and threatened her. The three men then took turns raping the helpless woman.

Justice Baird sentenced Boyce to 30 years hard labour for rape. Having had three previous convictions for larceny, the judge slapped two five-year jail terms on him for indecent assault and committing serious indecency on the woman. Boyce was then sentence by the judge to 15 years hard labour for kidnapping the woman. Baird also sentenced Samuel to 30 and 15 years for raping and kidnapping the woman respectively. He was also slapped with two five-year jail sentences for the serious and indecent assault charges.  The judge ordered the sentences of Boyce and Samuel to run concurrently which means that they both will serve 30 years each in jail. Austin was sentenced by Justice Baird to 20 years on the rape charge and three two-year jail term for serious indecency, indecent assault and committing buggery on the woman. On the kidnapping charge, Austin was sentenced to ten years hard labour. They are to run concurrently, the judge ordered, with the 20 years jail term.