A 44-YEAR-OLD construction worker convicted of raping a tenant of his St James apartment in 2012 will remain in prison for a little over six years.
Justice Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo sentenced Mark Calvahal on December 19.Calvahal was found guilty after a judge-only trial on December 9.
Waterman-Latchoo began with a 12-year sentence, giving him a two-year discount for his previous good character; a year because he has a son with a medical condition; and another two years because he paid $15,000 to the Rape Crisis Society, since his victim did not want the money but asked for it to be paid to the society.
The two weeks he spent in custody awaiting sentence were also deducted, leaving him with six years, 11 months and two weeks left to serve.
Calvahal was ordered to report to the Maraval police station seven days after his release from prison. He also has to register as a sex offender on the National Sex Offender Register and will report as a sex offender for six years once every three months from the date of registration.
>
As part of her order, Waterman-Latchoo ordered the registrar of the Supreme Court to send Calvahal’s name and particulars to the Commissioner of Police for the publication of the relevant information on the public sex offender website in 14 days.
According to the evidence presented at the trial by prosecutor Dylan Martin, the victim returned from work on October 5, 2012, when Calvahal went over to her apartment to discuss items she had ordered from a friend.
He insisted they visit the friend to exchange the wrong items she had received. After correcting the order, he persuaded her to visit a spring in Maraval. She had only moved to St James three weeks before and did not know the area.
When she got out of the car, she did not find a spring. Instead, she was taken to a dark, lonely and bushy area with no houses. She asked the accused to take her home, but he raped her in the car. During the ordeal, she started to bleed.
A forensic analyst tested the car seat and confirmed there was blood on it.
The victim later went to the police station with a friend and was taken to hospital before Calvahal was charged.
He testified at his trial and also called the friend they had visited as a witness. Calvahal maintained the victim consented to have sex with him. The judge rejected this claim.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was also represented by Niara Boodan.
