Thirty-six-year-old Linden resident Corwyn Arthur who attacked and beat a 16-year-old girl with a knife before brutally raping her on a lonely road on the night of December 17th, 2013 heard from her impact statement, the psychological and other trauma his actions continue to cause her almost a decade later.
Arthur who is currently serving 15 years in jail on an unrelated charge, had been convicted back in March of raping the teen, but his sentencing had been deferred pending the presentation of a number of social reports.
The reports were presented yesterday before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry who presided over the trial. After they were all read, however, the Judge announced that Arthur’s sentencing will be further deferred as she considers the reports.
His new sentencing date has been fixed for May 23rd.
At yesterday’s hearing, the court heard from Kerri Lambert, support advocate of the now 24-year-old victim, who she said related to her that the terror of that fateful night has become a part of her life, even as she still tries to cope with stigma from her community.
The court heard from the statement, the victim expressing the desire that Arthur would have confessed to all that he had done to and caused her to endure, referencing the wounds she still has from the knife he attacked her with, before dragging her through bushes to commit the dastardly act.
“I wish none of it happened,” Lambert quoted the victim as saying in her statement, even as she related the decline in her academic performance as she had been preparing to write her CXC examinations at the time.
Because of the assault, the court heard that the young woman has shared being unable to express emotions. “Since this incident, I have never loved nobody. I don’t know why; I don’t have no feelings,” the court heard from her victim impact statement.
Lamenting the nine years it has taken her matter to be brought to trial, the court heard of the victim’s regret at the passing of her mother last year whom she described as her biggest supporter as she had never received counselling.
“Now that she has died, she wouldn’t get to see me receive justice,” the victim impact statement said.
Arthur attacked the then 16-year-old as she made her way home from a birthday party.
The prosecution’s facts were that he exited a car behind her on a lonely road and though she tried to get away from him, she tripped and fell; and it was at that time that he hit her with the knife he had.
Thereafter, the court had heard that the offender dragged the teen into the nearby bushes and raped her.
The court had heard that the victim “screamed for her life,” but no one heard her; and that Arthur then threatened to kill her if she had not complied with his demands; but though she tried to fight him off, he eventually overpowered her.
The court heard that after the ordeal, the teen ran home and related what had happened to her, but noted that she had managed to escape with her rapist’s phone which fell out of his pocket as he raped her.
In his address yesterday, Arthur said he was sorry for what had happened to the teen; but maintained his innocence, and like his attorney Madan Kissoon, begged for leniency.
Kissoon said that given the good report from the prison regarding his client’s behaviour, he was a good candidate for rehabilitation, reform and reintegration to society.
For his part, however, Prosecutor Muntaz Ali asked the judge to impose a sentence commencing at a base of no less than 17 years.
On this point he asked Justice Sewnarine-Beharry to consider that a weapon had been used in the commission of the offence, and that without protection, the offender had scant regard for any potential sexual disease he could have transmitted to the victim.
On March 10th a jury had returned a majority verdict of 10 to 2, convicting Arthur of sexually penetrating the teen without her consent.
He was also found guilty by the jury in the same proportion, of assaulting the young lady on the said day, causing her actual bodily harm.
The trial proceedings were held in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
Just under a year ago, Arthur called `Cross Eye,’ was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the 2018 killing of Claude `Sonno’ DeJonge, who at the time shared a relationship with a woman Arthur was also once involved with.
He was initially indicted for murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter; admitting that on May 10th, 2018 he unlawfully killed the 40-year-old taxi driver at his reputed wife’s 1074 Cinderella City, Mackenzie, Linden home.
