A 28-year-old man accused of raping a 66-year-old woman during a home invasion was on Wednesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court.
Rohan Muhammed appeared before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy and was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that between March 27 and 28, he engaged in sexual penetration with the woman without her consent and without any reasonable belief that she consented.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Garfield Edwards told the court that the incident occurred inside the victim’s home during a late-night attack.
According to the prosecutor, the accused was positively identified by the woman and had previously worked for her.
“…he put her to lay on the bed, spread her legs open,” Edwards told the court as he described the events surrounding the 23:50h home invasion. The court further heard that the accused performed oral sex on the victim.
Edwards added that the woman lives alone and was confronted by the attacker who was not masked.
“He had a knife to her neck,” the prosecutor stated.
He strongly objected to bail, arguing that Muhammed is a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses if released.
“He is a repeated offender, who would go to neighbouring Suriname. The last time he was sentenced…he got nine months in August last year and I was the arresting officer who went to his home and found him hiding under his bed. I took him and handed him over to the prison in New Amsterdam,” Edwards told the court.
Muhammed denied involvement and instead blamed his brother.
“Mam, is not me, is me brother. Me brother go in pon this lady, he does do this thing steady,” he said.
The accused told the court that he and his brother resemble each other and claimed his sibling was between 36 and 37 years old.
However, the prosecutor disputed this, stating that the two do not look alike.
Muhammed maintained his innocence, adding, “One day I took my brother there to work with me, and he see the lady.”
In refusing bail, Magistrate Hardy cited the seriousness of the allegation and the likelihood that the accused could interfere with witnesses if granted pre-trial liberty.
The matter was adjourned to April 22.
The charge stems from a terrifying home invasion involving a 66-year-old woman of Blairmont Settlement, West Bank Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), who was attacked inside her home. It was reported that the intruder armed himself with a knife, which he held to the woman’s neck as he threatened and attempted to sexually assault her during the ordeal, leaving the pensioner traumatised.
Reports had indicated that the suspect was known to the woman, having previously visited the premises to carry out work. The incident sent shockwaves through the quiet community and raised renewed concerns about the safety of elderly residents, particularly those living alone or in vulnerable circumstances.
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