26 years jail for Lethem resident who raped woman

Thirty-one-year-old Nick Skeete was sentenced to 26 years imprisonment Thursday for the rape of a 20-year-old woman which occurred between July 8 and 9, 2016 in Lethem, Region Nine.

Skeete known as ‘Jason Blair’ and ‘Shatta’, of Tabatinga, Lethem was sentenced by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Georgetown High Court.

On March 19, a 12-member jury found Skeete guilty of the charge while his two co-accused Harold Anderson and John Lee Edmond were found not guilty.

The State was represented by prosecutors Teriq Mohammed and Tiffani Lyken while Skeete was represented by Attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir.

A probation report, which was read in court during a virtual hearing, revealed that in the past Skeete was under investigation by the Police in Lethem for rape, but the matter never reached the court because the alleged victim returned to Brazil.

Skeete told the Probation Officer that he felt “powerless” and believes that he was being set up.

Meanwhile, the Probation Officer said the victim’s father related that since the incident, she became withdrawn and very fearful around men.

According to the Probation Officer, the victim suffered a horrendous, bestial attack that would result in serious mental trauma.

Justice Barlow started Skeete’s sentence at 27 years and then added three years for aggravating factors which took it to 30 years.

From the 30 years, the Judge deducted three years, 10 months and four days for the time Skeete spent in pre-trial custody.  As a result, he will spend 26 years behind bars.

It is the State’s case that the victim was in a taxi heading home when the driver was attacked. The young woman was then dragged from the car and raped.