Taxi driver slapped with another rape charge

Apr 08, 2018 News

Thurston Semple

Weeks after a taxi driver was committed to stand trial in the High Court for rape, he was last Friday brought back before a City Magistrate for another rape charge to be read to him.
Thirty-three-year-old Thurston Semple, of Tucville, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The allegation is that on August 31, last, at Quamina Street, he engaged in sexual penetration with a woman without her consent.
He was not allowed to plead to the indictable offence. The matter was held in-camera.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield strongly objected to bail being granted to the defendant citing the penalty the charge attracts and the fact that the accused was recently committed to stand trial for two similar offences.
The Magistrate after listening to the prosecutor granted the defendant $100,000 bail. Condition of the bail is the he lodge his passport at the court and stay away from the virtual complainant until the completion of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI).
According to information on the day in question the defendant met the woman who is said to be a sex worker at Palm Court and carried her to a hotel where he had sex with her against her will.
The woman then went and reported the matter to the police and the defendant was arrested for the offence.
Semple was instructed to make his next court appearance on April 17.
Last January, Semple appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where two charges were read to him.
The first charge alleged that between November 30, and again on December 1, last, at Georgetown, he engaged in sexual penetration of a woman without her consent.
It was further alleged that between January 3 and January 4, at Georgetown, he sexually assaulted another woman.
According to reports, Semple picked up the sex workers on separate occasions and took them to his home, where he agreed to pay them $10,000 each for performing sex acts on him.
However, after the sex acts with the sex workers, Semple tied their hands and feet, placed them in his car and took them back at the location where he met them without paying for their service.
The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into those matters where conducted before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.
At the conclusion of the PI, the Magistrate ruled that there was sufficient evidence against Semple for him to stand trial before a judge and jury at the Supreme Court.
Semple also had a matter of escaping lawful custody dismissed against him by Senior Magistrate Dylon Bess in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that on August 31 last, while being in lawful custody at the Agricola Police Outpost, pending investigation of an alleged rape and robbery, he escaped lawful custody.
The Magistrate told the court that the prosecution was unable to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt citing that insufficient evidence was led by the prosecution team.
He added that the accused was charged under the wrong section of the law.
According to information on the day in question about 23:40 hrs, the defendant was arrested and taken into police custody on an allegation of rape and robbery.
It was reported that about 02:30hrs the following day, the prisoner managed to unlock his handcuff and ran out the station after pushing a female police constable down when she attempted to stop him.

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