Sentencing for 2 convicted rapists deferred

Sentencing for two convicted rapists which was initially scheduled for Friday has been deferred to May 23 by Demerara Sexual Offences Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Corwyn Arthur, called “Cross Eye”, 37, of Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), and Thurston Semple, also 37, of Tucville, Georgetown, were found guilty by juries on separate rape and assault charges in March. 
In Arthur’s case, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry deferred sentencing to allow her time to consider the submissions made on Friday by the convict’s lawyer, Madan Kissoon, and State Prosecutor Mohammed Ali. The Linden resident was allowed to address the court. In so doing, he said that he was sorry for what happened to the 16-year-old girl whom he was convicted of raping.
He, however, denied committing the act, claiming that a Police officer to whom he owes money framed him. Probation and psychiatric reports on him were also presented to the court. The victim’s impact statement and a psychological evaluation of her were also presented.
Meanwhile, the court could not proceed with sentencing for Semple because his lawyer, Everton Singh-Lammy, was engaged in another matter before a Magistrate. Furthermore, the probation and psychological reports in his case are yet to be completed.

Raped at knifepoint
Arthur engaged in sexual penetration of the 16-year-old girl on December 17, 2013, without her consent. He was also convicted of assaulting the victim. It was reported that the victim was walking home from a friend’s birthday party when she was attacked by Arthur, who was armed with a knife. The court heard that the rapist threatened to kill the teenager if she did not comply with his wishes. The victim had managed to raise an alarm, but Arthur, in retaliation, dealt her one blow to her head with the knife he was carrying. He then dragged her into a clump of bushes, placed the knife to her neck, and raped her.

Jailed
Arthur is currently serving a 15-year jail term for stabbing his ex-lover’s husband to death in 2018. In 2021, he admitted that on May 10, 2018, he unlawfully killed 40-year-old taxi driver Claude De Jonge, also known as “Sonno”, of South Amelia’s Ward, Linden.
It was reported that De Jonge was stabbed to death while at the home of his girlfriend, who reportedly once shared a relationship with Arthur. De Jonge was found lying motionlessly in a pool of blood next to the front door of the house. At the time, he was clad in trousers and his body bore several stab wounds to the neck, shoulders, and abdomen.

Battered and raped
In addition, Semple, a taxi driver, sexually penetrated a woman against her will between February 24 and 25, 2021. He was also found guilty of assaulting her.
The facts stated that around 22:30h on the day in question, Semple drove up alongside the woman who was standing in front of a hotel in Georgetown. The two of them began conversing during which Semple agreed to pay her $10,000 to have sex with him.
The woman left with Semple who transported her to his Tucville, Georgetown home. Upon arrival, she sat on a bed and smoked a cigarette. They then engaged in sexual intercourse. During the sex act, the condom broke, resulting in the woman having to replace it.
While doing so, she told Semple that he only had 15 minutes remaining and that if he does not finish within that time, she would leave. Semple replied by telling her “okay” before leaving for the kitchen. Upon his return, he grabbed the woman by her hair, placed a knife to her neck, removed the condom from his penis, and forced the woman to perform oral sex on him.
When the woman stopped performing the act on him, Semple dealt her several slaps to her face. At this point, she requested to have a drink of water. When Semple turned his back, the naked woman escaped through a glass window. Semple ran behind her; he grabbed her by her hair again and dealt her several stabs with a knife. When the woman held onto the weapon, Semple lashed her about her body with a tube that was filled with cement.
To get away from him, the woman jumped a fence and began crying out for help. Persons came to her rescue. Shortly after, Police arrived at the scene and arrested Semple. The injured woman was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where she was treated for lacerations about her body, fractured ribs, among other injuries.
After the offences were put to him and he was cautioned in accordance with the Judge’s Rules, Semple replied: “Officer, I had sex with her. I paid her for the service and she refused to do what I asked… and I assaulted her in her face with a PVC [polyvinyl chloride] pipe.” (G1)