Forty-one-year-old Julius Branker will likely spend the rest of his active life behind bars after he was on Wednesday sentenced to 40 years imprisonment by Sexual Offences Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramall who deemed him unremorseful, after a panel of 12 jurists unanimously found him guilty of rape.
The heinous act occurred on February 15, 2014, in the county of Demerara by Branker who is a grandfather. The evidence detailed that armed with a knife, he broke and entered the victim’s house while she was lying in bed with her 18-moth-old toddler and committed the act in the child’s presence.
The jury considered the evidence presented over the last few days by State Prosecutors Shawnette Austin and Seeta Bisundial. The panel returned their decision after two hours of deliberations after Justice Ramlall had summed up the case in the afternoon session.
Upon hearing the verdict, Branker fell to his seat in the prisoner’s box and appeared as though he was crying. After he composed himself, he maintained his innocence, saying “I am not guilty of this case,” adding that his mother and other relatives could have vouched for his whereabouts. Defence counsel Maxwell McKay meanwhile simply said that his client supports his grandchild and three children. McKay also stated that his client was a model prisoner and has firm religious beliefs. Prosecutor Austin however indicated that Branker was on remand for break and enter and larceny.
The victim’s address to the court was presented by Red Thread Support Officer Halima Khan who emotionally related that the woman continues to deal with the trauma she suffered from the harrowing attack.
“Honestly, I forgive him but you can’t be hurting women so. I get nightmares, I am always shaking. I remember what happened to me and it is a shame. I don’t know how to have relationships,” the mother observed.
“I feel nasty and I cannot get over it. He needs help and he should turn his life over to Christ,” the victim further related.
As the High Court Judge considered her sentence, there was cutting silence in the courtroom which was broken by a light cough that was heard throughout the room. In handing down her sentence, Justice Ramlall said she considered the nature of the fence and that he violated the woman whereby he broke into her home in the wee morning hours and held a knife to her side and threatened her life. The judge further pointed out that the child ended up “under the act” even though it was not clear how the child got there.
Justice Ramlall opined that Branker who had “no remorse” also showed disrespect for the jury’s verdict and did not ask the court for mercy or advise his counsel in this regard. She encouraged him to change his life and sentenced him to the serve 40 years in prison but stressed that he will only be eligible for parole after serving 35 years of his sentence.
