A man convicted 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.
The man was found guilty by a jury in March after jurors rejected his defence that the encounter had been a prearranged agreement for sex in exchange for money.
The case stemmed from an incident on August 23, 2022, involving a 48-year-old woman who testified that the accused, then 34 years old, entered her yard uninvited while she was outside feeling unwell and her boyfriend was away from home.
The woman told the court she initially believed the man had left the property and proceeded to do laundry. She later discovered he was still on the premises. After she declined his offer to help and told him she had no alcohol, juice, or money to give him, the man allegedly groped her on three separate occasions.
According to evidence presented at trial, the situation escalated when he forced her into the kitchen and demanded sex. When she refused, he grabbed her by the neck and attempted to choke her.
Alone in the home, the woman testified that she remained calm and persuaded him to step outside to turn off the washing machine. She then locked the kitchen door behind him. The accused, however, did not leave the premises.
Jurors were shown CCTV footage that captured the man reaching through the louvres of the front door and letting himself back into the house. The woman ran outside screaming for help. The footage also showed her on the ground with the accused standing over her before a neighbour intervened and ordered him to leave.
During the trial, the accused claimed the visit had been arranged in advance and that he had paid the woman $90 for a sexual encounter, telling jurors he re-entered the house only to recover his money. The jury rejected his account and returned guilty verdicts on both charges.
At sentencing, the court imposed a 14-month prison term for indecent assault and six years for attempting to choke the woman. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning the man will serve six years in prison.
