Man sentenced for rape 17 years later

SEVENTEEN years after he and two other men kidnapped and raped a woman, Owusu Williams has been sentenced by a High Court judge.

Williams, 40, of Enterprise, will serve four years and ten months for the rape.

His sentence was 30 years’ hard labour, but a one-third discount and the 15 years and two months he spent in prison awaiting trial were deducted, leaving the prison term imposed on him yesterday by Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas.

The judge also sentenced Williams to time already served for kidnapping, false imprisonment, robbery with aggravation and assault with intent to rob.

St Clair-Douglas said in sentencing Williams, the court wanted to demonstrate its condemnation of the way the crime was carried out.

According to the facts of the case, presented by prosecutor Veona Neal-Munroe, Williams and two other men held up a car in Carenage on November 1, 2000. The victim was in the car, which had stopped because of mechanical problems.

The woman was bundled into the car by Williams, who had a gun, and one of his accomplices, who had a cutlass. They blindfolded her and demanded the PIN numbers for her bank cards, before she was taken to an unknown location, where the men took turns raping her.

She managed to eescape and walked to Jerningham Junction, Cunupia. She was then taken to the police station.

Williams pleaded guilty to the multiple indictments last year, while his co-accused, who are out on bail, are to face their own trial.

Although he had been granted bail at the magistrates’ court, it was revoked and Williams spent a total of 5,535 days in prison.

He was represented by attorney Frank Peterson.