Thurston Semple, a taxi-driver who is awaiting trial for rape, was yesterday faced with a new rape charge.
Semple, 36, of George-town, who was yesterday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, was not required to plea to the new charge.
The charge states that between February 24th, 2021, and February 25th, 2021, at Georgetown, he sexual penetrated a woman without her consent. He was remanded to prison until March 11th.
He told the court that he did not rape the woman and stated that the woman was lying.
However, the Police Prosecutor told the court that Semple, who often pays women to have sex with him, hired the woman and took her to his home. The court heard that once there they proceeded to engage in sexual activity but a few minutes after the woman complained about being in pain. Semple subsequently requested that she perform a sex act on him but she refused and as a result he allegedly held a knife to her neck and forced her to comply. It was also alleged that he assaulted her to her face and body with the knife.
The police say the woman eventually escaped from the house through a window and she then ran to the public road. Semple allegedly ran behind her while being armed with a knife. The court heard that the woman was seen by neighbours, who reported to the police that she was wrapped in a sheet. An ambulance was summoned and the woman was taken to the hospital while Semple was arrested.
Sample was previously charged with multiple rapes. He was charged with raping two sex workers between November 30th, 2017, and on December 1st, 2017, at Georgetown. Semple was committed to stand trial in the High Court in May, 2018, on the charges.
However, while he was still out on bail and weeks after he was committed, he was slapped with another rape charge. It was also reported that between January 3rd, 2018, and January 4th, 2018, at Georgetown, he sexually assaulted another woman. He was also charged with escaping lawful custody. That rape charge against him was dismissed as the magistrate had said that the prosecutor failed to provide the court with sufficient evidence.
