UPDATE: Thomas to serve 12 years in prison for rape & abduction
Thomas is set to serve four years in prison for abduction and twelve years for rape.
The sentences handed down by Justice Vicki Ann Ellis are set to run concurrently and are effective from April 6, 2013.
As part of the conditions of his sentence, Thomas is required to be “professionally assessed” within the next three months in order to receive necessary counselling.
See previous article posted December 12, 2013
Convicted rapist Ikeido Thomas remorseful; was not in 'right mind'
Convicted rapist, Ikeido Thomas of Sea Cows Bay, in addressing the High Court during his trial today December 12, 2013 said he was not in his right mind and was mostly under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred.
Thomas, a former employee of the Ports Authority, was charged with rape and abduction stemming from an incident which occurred on September 28, 2012. He pleaded not guilty after being arrested and placed before the courts in April, 2013.
“I was not in my right mind your honour, I was not fully in my right mind. I was mostly under [the influence of] alcohol,” Thomas told Justice Vicki Ann Ellis when asked to respond to the unprecedented level of violence meted out to the victim in the case.
He also pleaded with the court for leniency and expressed remorse for committing the crime. Asked by Justice Ellis why the court should be lenient with him, Thomas replied, “All acts were not intentional…”
Thomas further told the court that he would like to apologise to the VC if given an opportunity to do so.
“I would like to be able to at least come back out of jail and continue with my life in some form,” Thomas said. “If I could have taken it back I would but it’s in the past, it has already happened…”
Level of violence unseen in jurisdiction
Principal Crown Counsel, Tiffany Scatliffe requested a term of 15-20 years imprisonment given the mitigating and aggravating factors and said she had never before heard of such level of violence in an incident of rape within this jurisdiction.
Scatliffe said the level of violence and sheer brutality left her shocked and added that this was not normal behaviour.
Thomas had a prior conviction of theft but was given a non-custodial sentence for the offence in being placed on a bond and asked to keep the peace. Justice Ellis noted that this must be taken into consideration in his sentencing and said this was not a light offence.
“It speaks to a lack of respect of the authority of the court,” Justice Ellis stated.
Thomas is expected to be sentenced next Monday, December 16, 2013.
Background
Prosecutors stated that the defendant allegedly befriended a woman before abducting, beating and raping her.
The Crown, in outlining the allegations before the court, stated that the Virtual Complainant (VC) was at Perlar’s Bar in Baugher’s Bay on September 28, 2012 at around 12:40 A.M., with some acquaintances. While at Perlar’s the VC was socializing with other patrons and drinking; and when her acquaintances decided that they were leaving, the VC decided to stay.
The VC was reportedly harassed by an individual who she did not know and who allegedly made advances to her. The defendant allegedly came to her aide and caused the other individual to stop bothering her.
The defendant later allegedly walked the VC to her vehicle and caused her to believe that he was genuinely concerned about her safety. The court heard that the accused and VC allegedly had a conversation during which, he offered to assist the VC by driving her home in her vehicle while a friend followed in his vehicle behind.
The VC allegedly agreed and eye witnesses allegedly saw the defendant getting into the driver’s seat while the VC got into the passenger’s seat. The defendant then allegedly drove the VC’s vehicle in the vicinity of Road Town and was proceeding to the Waterfront when the VC allegedly became alarmed as the defendant was driving in the opposite direction of where the VC wanted to go.
It was stated that the VC became even more alarmed when she noted that there was no vehicle following behind. She allegedly asked the defendant more than once to turn the vehicle around and take her to Perlar’s, but he remained silent and continued.
The court was further told that the defendant drove the VC’s vehicle to a dark, isolated area of Ellis Thomas Downs in Sea Cows Bay, close to where he reportedly lives. The man allegedly stopped the vehicle and attacked the VC.
It was stated that the VC tried to run away but the defendant caught up with her, beat, threatened, sexually assaulted her and forced her to commit gross acts of indecency.
According to Scatliffe, the VC got an opportunity to escape and ran away, leaving the defendant with her keys. The woman then ran to the Sea Cows Bay public road and was followed by the defendant. When he caught up with her he handed over the vehicle keys and told her if she told anyone about what had happened he would kill her husband and children. He allegedly told the defendant that he knew where she lived.
The court heard that the VC grabbed her keys from out of his hands and kept running, and as she ran he allegedly yelled, “Your car , your car, you can’t leave your car like that.”
Scatliffe said that the VC ran and hid by a nearby house and she eventually met someone who called the Police. It was mentioned that the Police took the VC to the hospital where she was examined and swabs were taken. It was announced that as a result of police investigations the defendant was met on February 7, 2013 and arrested on suspicion of rape. He allegedly told the police: “I don’t know anything about any rape, yall got the wrong person.” It was stated that the defendant admitted that he was at Perlar’s Bar on the night in question but denied the other allegations. He also volunteered a DNA sample.
In March 2013 the police received forensic reports and the result showed that the Defendant’s DNA was found on the VC. As a result the Defendant was rearrested on April 5.
49 Responses to “UPDATE: Thomas to serve 12 years in prison for rape & abduction”
@jeff.The apple don't fall far from the tree
@Jacky, that whole family need help.
Let me first commend VINO for such a remarkable level of investigative journalism,and for bringing this news report,to Her Majesty's free citizens,in Her Majesty's free and democratic BVI,through the lawful publication on VINO's free and democratic news site.
On behalf of the senior citizens of the BVI,and we the RETIREES,who once served Her Majesty in the BVI; let me say thanks to the many public institutions,responsible for criminal investigations and criminal prosecutions in the BVI.You make Her Majesty proud.
Her Majesty-The Queen,I am sure,will be pleased,that Her Honorable-Royal Police Officers of Her Royal Virgin Islands Police Force,will continue to work endlessly, to protect Her Majesty's Citizens and Her residents in the BVI, from such heinous,brutal and reprehensible attacks on Human Dignity!
We as a people of the BVI must continue as a people,who, in our BVI Constitution,we had asked Her Majesty to accept and recognize the following:-
[""Acknowledging that the society of the Virgin Islands is based upon certain moral,SPIRITUAL and democratic VALUES including a belief in God,the DIGNITY of the human person,the freedom of the individual and respect for Fundamental Rights and Freedom and the RULE OF LAW""]
These quoted words above are written in the V.I Constitution:So that is what have stood for:
We as a people are recognized by Her Majesty-The Queen:
Therefore,we as a people must stand up against and fight Criminality in the BVI Society.Let the few criminals know,the BVI free society,will not be a safe haven for convicted criminals!
Her Majesty's Government has built a Multi-Million Dollar-nice large PRISON to house all those who are convicted for Breaches against Her Majesty's Peace, and against the loving and peaceful citizens/residents of Her Majesty in the BVI.
I note that Her Majesty's Principal Crown Counsel,Madam Tiffany Scatliffe has requested an imprisonment term of 15-20 years:
But madam Scatliffe,I highly respect your prosecutorial ability, but it appears to me that over the years,you have become ""SAFF=soft""?
THE BVI LAW:
Section 117 (1) of the Criminal Code,1997,states:-
[""A man who RAPES a WOMAN commits an offence and is liable to-IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE!""]
Madam Justice,the BVI law declared that the PENALTY for RAPE in BVI is LIFE-imprisonment:
Sorry madam P.C.C,Scatliffe, the BVI-LAW said,"LIFE"!!
Dis dam legal team know every blasted law in bvi law books.dem cannot stop you with de law, a real legal genious. miss scatliffe you mad? the law is clear and green.life in prison.let him appeal de sentence to de prevy consel or let de govornor grant him a pardon after 40 yrs in prison.tek dat, i sticking with what legal team publish directly from bvi law books.life in prison without parole.law is law, tek dat.
Legal obviously u cant read the crown said 15-20y ears starting point.... the rest if for the judge. and why say life when the court of appeal would reduce it. the crown aint soft and you out of place. they cant go seeking convictions or losing people in jail you all always putting down locals and you cant do no better yourselves.. old fool.
"I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy..."
A well-known Queen's Counsel [QC] attorney-at-law,legal lecturer of the UK has asked me to convey his appreciation to VINO for allowing Her Majesty's Citizens and residents to express themselves,even when it appears to VINO,that the bloggers have become personal with their attacks on other bloggers who are not in Public Life.
The private citizens must be protected from SLANDER:There are some[the enemy] who want to tarnish the high quality blogging on this news site,but try again elsewhere-not here.
VINO,you are very smart:Even the Q.C sensed your smartness! Legal Team bravely identified himself:
The Legal Team was not appointed by the Governor,after consultation with any commission,under the V.I Constitution,neither was the Legal Team elected by the people during General Election:
The Legal is an UN-educated,simple Citizen of Her Majesty-The Queen,who only blogg on VINO's free and Democratic news site! Legal Team does NOT blogg on other news sites,because the other news sites are NOT DEMOCRATIC!! It is my Constitutional Right to say that without being cursed by the waiting like SHARKS..
Such blogging by Legal Team,on VINO,usually brings out the enemies from every where: Keep hiding?
And when the enemy set his/her trap for Legal Team, the Legal Team will REPEL the traps;with the power of the holy spirit,and the trap is returned to the setter of the trap. 100% accurate:
But I must also commend VINO for its responsible reporting,and for giving everyone a chance to express himself or herself,even when they appeared to be VEX.That is very good for Democracy.
Let us all read and see if the BVI LAW is VEX with this PRISON sentence imposed by the Judge,with Discretion:
Remember, Her Majesty's Crown HAD asked for 15-20: i Will not say that the Principal Crown Counsel had asked for that sentence.The enemy blogger may think it's personal,if I would say is P.C.C asked for 15-20.
The BVI Law: LET US ALL READ,HER MAJESTY'S BVI- LAW:-IT IS THE-----
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (AMENDMENT) ACT,2006, NO.3 OF 2006-SECTION (1A)[CHAPTER 18 AS AMENDED].
The BVI Law states:-
[""Where a sentence is passed on a person upon the conviction on INDICTMENT of that person for an offence and it appears to the Attorney General [Now D.P.P] that the sentence is unduly LENIENT or that the trial Judge ERRED in LAW as to his POWERS of sentence,the Attorney General [Now DPP] may,with the leave of the Court of APPEAL,refer the CASE to the Court for THE sentence to be REVIEWED""].That's the BVI LAW.
Remember; Her Majesty's Crown had asked for 15-20: The Honorable Justice-Judge gave 12: 3 to 8 less!
NOW, The UN-educated Legal Team,read out the Penalty,as written in Her Majesty's BVI Law-to be Life in prison! ALL I DID WAS READ and BLOGG ON WHAT I READ IN THE BVI-LAW.THAT'S ALL I DID!
NOW AGAIN; The Criminal Procedure(Amendment)Act,2006, WAS passed by the BVI Legislative Council on 21st February,2006 AND assent to on behalf of Her Majesty,by His Excellency-Governor-Thomas Townley Macan, Governor of the BVI; on 9th March,2006-Making the Legislation[LAW]
So I expect HER MAJESTY's Crown to appeal the sentence:They asked for 15-20:The judge gave 12. The BVI lAW say the Crown may Appeal,so Appeal!
I humbly apologize:
On behalf of my mom and my lecturer Queen's Counsel of the UK,I would like to apologize to Her Majesty's Principal Crown Council,for my expression [""SAFF-soft""] which associated with her.
These exciting words 'saff-soft'were not used to diminish the ability of madam Principal crown counsel,[Her Majesty's PCC] and her assessment of a Prison-sentence:In my personal assessment of madam PCC,she presented this case on behalf of Her Majesty,with usual professionalism:The expression 'saff-soft' was more to say stick with what the BVI declared,as oppose to a suggested sentence 15-20,which is not in BVI Law:
Legal Team; As an UN-educated layman person, expected to read,the crown asking for life;because it's the LAW:The BVI Law declared LIFE! The Judge has a discretion:But the law declared life in prison.
The Crown does-Not have a Discretion,AFTER- CONVICTION to suggest a SENTENCE!
Don't blame me for my bloggs on the law-because I say LIFE in prison?The law said LIFE! Not ME:
And don't DIG holes for me by calling me -
[AN A$$]
I hope your children are BRIGHT-and NOT A$$ES: Take that as a spiritual warning:
Watch your wishes for others.Are you prepared to receive them?
Nelson Mandela, could not blogg on the streets of Soweto-for 27 years.He was in prison for lawfully giving his opinion,and for false accusation of treason.[he was accused of planning to overthrow the Government of South Africa]
BVI is a Free and Democratic Territory of Her Majesty-The Queen.I obeyed Her Majesty's V.I Constitution and Her Majesty's BVI Laws:
Her Majesty gave me freedom to blogg-I WILL BLOGG on VINO!
Tek Dat. look another bvi law dat was hiding all de time. appeal de dam 12 years. yu'al call for 15 to 20 yrs; de judge giv 12, legal team give us a bvi law dat say de crown can ask for more in de appeal court so use de law and appeal.Tek Dat. legal team should not apologise,dem dam suff yess, but my bro i know u believe in clean blogging on vino bcuz u believe in justice. by de way where is de bvi law dat say, the crown can beg for less sentence than de bvi law say.no blasted law say dat. but bcuz legal team embarass dem, u blgger bllooger talking bout doh like local. when dem jokee lawyers go and carry news on de local magistrate de other day and bvi bloggers was bashing de magistrate, it was legal team who search the constitution and defend the local magistrate,by reading de section in de constitution that say de magistrate didnt misbehave. but legal team is a local in de constitution and always talk good about bvi people and bvi country.Tek Dat, the dpp have no lawful right to beg for 15 to 20 yrs.de blasted law say life.de pcc should tell de judge, 'judge just follow de law',, i support the legal team for his knowlage on bvi law.u will stay on vino to teach us de bvi law.let dem dig hole for you,hope dem dig it dip dip dip.Tek Dat..hhooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Similar to the UK the B.V.I legal system is not designed with such convenience of Plea-Deal.
Face the law:
The Maximum sentence for RAPE under B.V.I law is Life imprisonment.
That sentence is NOT Mandatory life- like in cases such as Murder,where the sentence is Mandatory life in prison.
In rape,the Judge has a discretion to sentence from low as one day in prison all the way up to life in prison.
VINO's reliable news site reported that Her Majesty's Crown,[crown prosecutor] who presented this case on behalf of the QUEEN,in whose name the Indictment was brought-
ask for 15-20; but Her Majesty's Statutory Law-Section 117,sub-section (1) of the B.V.I Criminal Code,1997, LAWS of the Virgin Islands,directed that the Maximum Penalty for Rape is life imprisonment.[That maximum is not mandatory]
Legal Team never said that the Convicted man should be sentenced to the maximum, life imprisonment.
Legal Team had said in his first free and democratic blogg that the Maximum sentence is Life!
Legal Team will now say that Her Majesty's Crown[Crown Prosecutor] has NO Authority under Her Majesty's-B.V.I Law to Minimize or Maximize a sentence of Her Majesty's lawful-Court.OR to even suggest to a Judge what sentence is appropriate, after a Conviction:
Legal Team agrees with the Judge: Give him 12: Let the Crown appeal the sentence,if it's not enough:
[Let them call down people as ""Dam A$$ and Old Fool""] simply because Bloggers""Make the Vex"".I want my people to be free from misconception:
But I will read this psalms,as it is my Fundamental Right and Freedoms,as declared in section 21 of the Queen's V.I Constitution,for me to enjoy and practice-freedom of religion.
With that Freedom from Her Majesty-The Queen,let me read a scripture in the Bible,which I would read every morning. VINO,can I express my Freedom of Religion,without being hindered?
Psalms 5 verse 10- [""Not a word of their mouth can be trusted,for their heart is full of mischief.Their tongue flatters with deceit,but their throat is an open grave""]
The judge give 12 yr in prison for this bad crime against a lady
The penalty for rape crime I reading in bloggs is life time
Another law I reading in blogg is that the crown can appeal for more sentence
This is a case of hang jury.
There should declare a mistrial
Try the case again and give the right sentence as is in the law.
But I will not join alliance with dirty words directed at the Citizens of Her Majesty's B.V.I:
Instead,I will call on the Citizens to turn the pages of their V.I Constitution,and read along with me Chapter 2 [Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual]
Her Majesty-The Queen,declared in Section 9 and she said:-
[""Whereas every person in the Virgin Islands is entitled to the
[Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual]
Protection of Freedom of Expression
Section 23 states:-
[""(1) No person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom of expression""]
Her Majesty-The Queen,who owns the B.V.I, give me,as a Citizen,[Fundamental Rights and Freedoms] in Her B.V.I, but some of you want to curse me for Blogging about Her Majesty's Laws, on a Free and democratic news site,to be published in the Queen's [Free and Democratic B.V.I]
VINO,Let Freedom REIGN!!
Meh son, ah from hieh. Ah tell you already b4 yu blogg call me to read the blogg.Tek Dat. we hav fundamental right from the queen but ah yu want to silence the media and de bloggers, Tek Dat. yu want to hinder me from sayin what i want to say,tek dat. look minister W go in de house assemble and koss down bloggers for there freedom to blogg,leh he tek dat. look de crown come insulting de judge telling de judge 15 to 20 we want.judge giv a dozen yrs or 12 yr.TEK DAT! who de hell is u,to tell de judge what sentence yu want.whay de dam lahw that giv u right to say 15-20 tek dat. tell us about fundamental right tek dat, ah yu mouth filfy with nastee words,tek dat,,cast bak dem eveil bak to dem;;;tek dat.....tek dat...