A Guapo labourer who imprisoned a 26-year-old woman in her own home before raping her was denied bail when he appeared before a Point Fortin magistrate yesterday.
Terry Edwards, 31, of Salick Trace, was not called upon to plead when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan in the Point Fortin First Court, charged with two counts of rape, two counts of grievous sexual assault, choking with intent to rape, robbery, false imprisonment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
According to the prosecution led by Sgt Manolal, the acts happened sometime between midnight Sunday into Monday at a house in Guapo. It is alleged that Edwards entered the house and using a cutlass and other weapons, assaulted the woman several times. Following that, he demanded sex from the woman and when she refused, he choked her into submission. The victim, a mother of two, pretended to be dead and the suspect proceeded to rape her.
Neighbours who heard screams at the woman’s house contacted the police and a team of officers from the Guapo station, including Sgt Ali, Cpl Alexander, Cpl Sookdeo, PC Boodoo and WPC Nelson, responded. When officers reached the house the suspect ran away. The victim was taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital where she was treated and discharged.
The officers conducted an exercise and later found the suspect hiding in a house along Salick Trace. He was taken into custody where he was questioned and then charged by Sgt Ali of the Guapo CID.
The prosecution objected to bail on the grounds of the violent nature of the offence committed. He was remanded into custody to give the prosecution enough time to access his criminal record and is to reappear today.
