A man found guilty of indecently assaulting a woman and attempting to choke her inside her own home has been sentenced to six years in prison, according to Antigua News Room.
The case stems from an incident on August 23, 2022, in which a 48-year-old woman told the court that the accused entered her property without permission while she was outside and alone.
Evidence presented at trial established that after the woman declined his offers of assistance and told him she had nothing to give him, the man groped her several times before forcing her into a kitchen and demanding sex. When she refused, he grabbed her by the neck and attempted to choke her.
The woman testified that she persuaded him to step outside to turn off a washing machine, then locked the kitchen door behind him. The accused, however, re-entered the house shortly after.
Jurors viewed CCTV footage showing the man reaching through louvres in the front door to gain entry. The footage also captured the woman running outside screaming for help, and showed her on the ground with the accused standing over her before a neighbour intervened.
During the trial, the defendant claimed the encounter had been pre-arranged and involved a payment of $90 for sex, and that he returned to the residence only to retrieve his money. The jury rejected that account entirely.
He was found guilty in March on charges of indecent assault and attempted choking. At sentencing, the court imposed 14 months for the indecent assault conviction and six years for the attempted choking offence. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective prison term of six years.
