Georgetown: An ex-convict, who was pardoned by President David Granger two years ago, received a 20 years sentence for raping a 48-year-old woman.
Justice Jo-Ann Barlow handed down the 20-year sentence to Raymond Gouveia, called “Ryan”, 22, of West Coast Berbice, for raping the middle-aged woman shortly after he was released from prison.
Initially, Gouveia had pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which stated that on September 14, 2015, he sexually penetrated the woman without her consent.
The Judge told Gouveia that the victim was old enough to be his mother.
“She was going about her own business when you attacked and violated her. She sustained injuries and you thereafter threatened her. The sentence of this court is 24 years,” the Judge said in handing down her sentencing.
Justice Barlow further told the convicted rapist the crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. However, the court was being lenient by imposing the 24-year jail term.
In addition to that, two years were deducted for the mitigation by Defence Attorney Sasha Roberts and also his age.
The Judge also took into account that Gouveia was remanded for almost two years and as such, deducted another two years from the sentence.
Roberts, in mitigating for leniency, said Gouveia is the eldest of five children and was forced to drop out of school at the primary level. After dropping out, he started to work as a coconut peeler to supplement his family’s income.
When asked if he had anything to say, the young man remained silent.
In 2015, Gouveia was sentenced for sexually assaulting a young lady, who also lived on the West Coast of Berbice. Gouveia who was reportedly friends with the young woman who lived in a nearby village, attempted to rape her, but she fought him off. He was subsequently charged and jailed for that matter but was released sometime after.
Residents in his village had revealed that he is out of jail because he was pardoned.
“I de get a two-and-a-half year and I come out May 23,” the man had told Guyana Times shortly after he was charged for raping the 48-year-old woman.
As a child, he allegedly raped two girls and was sent to the New Opportunity Corp (NOC) and while there, he also raped a boy.
The 48-year-old victim, in relating the incident, stated that Gouveia attacked her while she was coming from the backdam.
“While I was walking, he was walking to go down to the backdam and when I coming out I saw the boy coming to go the backdam. I kept my eyes on him… he just run from behind me and grab on me and lick me down to the ground. Then he was holding me down, pressing me down with one hand and strip me out and he raped me.”
Residents had said that he was out of jail because he was among those pardoned by the President.
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