Throughout his trial accused rapist twenty nine year old Jimmy Jerry Espat a married man and a father of two professed his innocence calling what he has been charged with as an act of consensual relations between himself and the victim, a twenty nine year old Canadian tourist. The woman felt secure enough to go with bartender she had just met to the San Ignacio cemetery where she alleged Jimmy Espat first beat her and then raped her.
Today was sentencing and Justice Adolph Lucas concluded by telling the accused quote “you have built a bad record on Belize in the eyes of a tour victim that would make others be careful when travelling to the country. And so, Jimmy Espat did not get the minimum of eight years. Evidence put before the court stated that he not only raped his victim once but twice and then tried again a third time ……all this time threatening to hurt her with a knife if she did not complied. He was sentenced to fourteen years for the rape.
His wife was present for the proceedings but declined to be interviewed by the media. Jimmy Espat’s sentence took effect from February twenty seventh, the day he was found guilty of the crime.
