Father of 3 jailed for 20 years for beating, raping, robbing elderly woman

Broan Luke, called “Bryan”, a 50-year-old father of three who is resident in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for a series of offences that include rape and robbery-under-arms.
Indicted for the offences of rape, robbery-under-arms, common assault, and burglary, Luke was arraigned before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Berbice High Court on Thursday, June 1. And after each charge was read to him, he opted to plead guilty.

These offences were committed on a 64-year-old woman.
At Luke’s sentencing hearing on Wednesday, the victim-survivor begged the court to impose the severest sentence on Luke, because she is fearful for her life and the lives of other women. She shared that the incident has left her wracked with fear.
“I bear the scars, I live with the stigma, I suffer from flashbacks and nightmares, I no longer sleep in my own room. Since that day, I never slept back in my bed. I keep hearing his voice in my head. He violated me. I ask for the most severe sentence,” the woman said in a statement that was read by the prosecutor, State Counsel Muntaz Ali.
During an interview with a probation officer, Luke said he could not recall what had transpired on the day in question because he was under the influence of alcohol.
Further, he said he pleaded guilty to the charges only because he does not have the finances to retain a lawyer. Nevertheless, he expressed remorse. “I apologise to the woman and to the community for what I have done. I beg you for mercy, My Worship,” he told the Judge.

Leniency
In a plea in mitigation, Luke’s attorney Surihya Sabsook asked the court to show “some degree of leniency” on her client. But in his address to the court, Prosecutor Ali noted that the treatment meted out to the victim was brutal, inhumane and degrading, and shows blatant disregard for a woman and mother figure. Ali reminded that the ordeal lasted for about an hour, and has left the victim traumatised.
For her part, Justice Morris-Ramlall, in her sentencing remarks, alluded to the prevalence of sexual offences against women in society, among other things.
She stressed that Luke had violated his victim in the “most perverse way”, and had been ruthless towards her.
In the circumstances, Luke was given the following jail terms: 20 years for rape; 10 years for breaking into the woman’s home; 12 years for armed robbery, and six years for assault. These sentences will run concurrently, meaning that he will only have to serve 20 years. The convict has also been credited for the time he spent in pre-trial custody.
Luke was initially charged with the four offences on August 21, 2021, and when he appeared at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court, he was remanded to prison. After a Paper Committal, Luke was committed to stand trial for the offences following a magistrate’s ruling that the prosecution had led prima facie evidence against him.
Luke was previously convicted of abduction, and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment besides being fined $500,000 by a magistrate.
At around 18:00h on August 15, 2021, the then 64-year-old woman had secured the home which she shared with her granddaughter before retiring to bed. However, at around 02:00h the following morning, Luke broke into her home, went into her bedroom, held on to her neck, and threatened to kill her if she screamed.
He had then placed a knife to the fearful woman’s neck, and began cuffing her to her face, head, and neck. He held on to her hair, and pulled her off the bed while demanding gold and money.
At that point, the victim’s granddaughter woke up and started to cry, but Luke demanded that the woman, who begged him not to hurt the child, make the child stop crying.
According to the prosecution’s facts, the victim was forced to hand over to Luke $100,000 she had stashed in a safe. Luke subsequently dragged the woman to the inner stairway, where he held a knife to her neck and ordered her to take off her underwear, or else he would stab her. The felon then engaged in vaginal and oral sex with the victim without her consent.
The ordeal lasted for about an hour, during which the victim was rendered unconscious. When the victim regained consciousness, she contacted her son, and a report was filed with the Police. Police ranks went to her home and transported her to the hospital.
At around 15:45h on August 15, 2021, Luke was arrested by the Police at his home.
When told of the allegations and cautioned, he told the Police his version of the incident, which
included confessing to the crimes. He told investigators that he had consumed Vodka with a friend, and had smoked a “joint” (marijuana) prior to arriving at the sexagenarian’s home. (G1)