A 41-year-old Guyanese man has begun a ten-year prison sentence in Ireland for rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment committed in August 2023.
According to Irish Times, Randi Gladstone, 41, of Guyana was a convicted rapist who had only been in Ireland for a few days before he raped, sexually assaulted and falsely imprisoned a young woman.
The Irish media outlet said that Gladstone was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury earlier this year of one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment committed at a holiday complex in County Dublin, on August 25th, 2023. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison earlier this month.
The newspaper said Gladstone has 19 previous convictions from the UK for rape, kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment.
At the sentencing hearing, the newspaper said, Justice Patrick McGrath said the ordeal has had a “profound impact” on the young woman, who was 18 at the time. He noted she “suffered significant emotional distress and is nervous and anxious when out,” the news outlet said.
He said Gladstone “preyed on this young vulnerable woman. This is a very serious offence with a considerable breach of trust. The defendant took advantage of this young woman’s young age, vulnerability and inexperience,” it added.
The judge rejected the defence claim that this was opportunistic and said Gladstone’s actions “clearly show cunning and planning. The judge said he “cannot ignore the defendant’s appalling previous convictions”, the newspaper stated.
Det Garda Carol Corrigan told Patrick Gageby SC, prosecuting, that Gladstone approached the victim as she stood outside her hotel room, having previously interacted with her and her family, the newspaper said.
Gladstone asked her to step into his room so he could ask her something. She did so but immediately knew something was not right, the court heard. He asked her if she had a boyfriend and told her she was beautiful. He then asked her to “hook up”. She did not know what that meant, and when he explained it to her, she said no. He told her he loved her and would take care of her, Irish Times stated.
Corrigan said Gladstone asked if he could kiss her and offered her money and she again said no. The victim went to leave, but Gladstone kissed her and she froze. He began to kiss her body and unbuckle and remove her shorts and underwear. He told her to relax before digitally penetrating her and then raping her, the news story detailed.
The court heard the young woman did not fight back due to fear. When Gladstone was finished, he told her to “come back later for more”, the report stated.
He then looked up and down the corridor before the young woman ran to her room. She told her mother what had happened. Her mother confronted Gladstone, who denied all misconduct. A short while later, the woman and her family visited St Vincent’s Hospital, it added.
Early the next morning, Gladstone bought a ferry ticket to the UK. However, he was unable to board as he was barred from re-entering the UK. He was arrested and questioned. He denied the allegations, claiming the activity was consensual, the news report stated.
It added that a victim impact statement, read out by the victim’s brother, described the emotional stress, nightmares, depression and anger she has suffered. “I hurt myself with a lighter for a while, but I still hurt inside. That was when I thought about not being alive anymore,” she wrote.
John Peart SC, defending, said Gladstone’s previous convictions for rape in the UK were from the same case and date back to 2001. Peart said his client maintained that the activity was consensual, the report stated. He also said that his client was a foreign national, and serving time in an Irish prison would be difficult, it added.
