Justice was served to three victims on Wednesday morning, after their attacker, who made them subjects to sexual assault, was sentenced to 62 years in prison for the heinous acts committed in the years 2012, 2013 and 2016.
Twenty-two-year-old Leon Jordan of Lot 102 Front Street, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara (WCD) re-appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court.
Jordan, on his previous Court appearance, pleaded guilty to three rape charges which were levelled against him. The first charge detailed that on February 2, 2012, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16, another stated that on January 13, 2013, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of a child aged 14 years. The final charge detailed that on October 25, 2016, he engaged in sexual penetration of a 28-year-old woman.
State Counsels Seeta Bishundial and Abigail Gibbs presented the prosecution’s case, while Defence Attorney Maxwell McKay represented Jordan.
Short facts were presented by Prosecutor Bishundial in relation to each of the charges. The Court heard that in relation to the first charge, at about 14:30h on February 2, 2012, the seven-year-old victim had just finished her day at school and was awaiting her older brother to travel home together. However, the accused, who is known to the victim, rode up on a bicycle and said he would take her home after doing an errand for the child’s mother. After the victim expressed some reluctance, the accused grabbed the victim onto his bicycle and threatened to stab her if she screamed, in addition, Jordan took the victim to the seawall and committed the act.
Facts relating to the second charge revealed that the 14-year-old victim was on her way home when Jordan approached her, and being armed with an ice picker, he demanded her to jump onto his bicycle. As such, Jordan took the victim to a deserted, bushy area and performed the act.
Finally, the facts into the last charge detailed that the mother of five was on her way to work, when the convict rode up and informed her that something was wrong at home. Heeding the information, the victim made her way back home only to be later attacked and dragged into a clump of bushes by Jordan. The victim put up a fight but was overpowered by her rapist, who bit off her eyelid and spat in on the ground. Nevertheless, she managed to free herself and ran, and was later taken to the hospital to seek medical attention and undergo surgery to restore her eyesight.
Each of the victims’ impact statement disclosed the trauma and nightmares they face whenever they recall the horrific incident. One of the victims stated “I screamed that day for help and no one came to my help….I told him to stop and he wouldn’t stop….I am full of emotions,” she cried.
As such, Justice Reynolds in addressing the Court, stated that there are no mitigating factors for Jordan, and as such sentenced him to 12, 15, and 35 years respectively on the three charges. Justice Reynolds further ordered that the sentence will run consecutively and that Jordan become eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
