Man convicted of breaking into woman’s home, raping her at knifepoint

Julius Branker, 46, was found guilty by a mixed 12-member jury on Thursday after hours of deliberations of raping a woman at knifepoint after breaking into her home.

At a site in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), on February 15, 2014, Branker, a father of three, sexually entered the woman against her will.

He is currently awaiting sentencing, which is set for December 18, 2023, subject to the presentation of probation and additional social reports.

At the Demerara High Court, Branker faced his second trial before Judge Navindra Singh.

In 2018, a jury had unanimously determined that Branker had raped the same woman.

He was given a sentence of 40 years in jail with a 35-year parole eligibility period by trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall.

However, that conviction was reversed in December 2022 by the Court of Appeal of Guyana, which found, among other things, that Branker had received an unfair trial.

The appellate court ordered a fresh trial for him as a result.

In his retrial before Justice Singh, State Counsel Marisa Edwards led the prosecution’s case. 

It was the prosecution’s case that the victim came home from work at around minutes to midnight on February 14, 2014, and thereafter went to bed.

At around 04:00h the following morning, she was awakened by noise coming from the television.

As such, she got up, turned off the television and went back to sleep. She, however, was shortly after awakened by a man standing at her bedside and she began hollering.  The man, whom she identified to be Branker, threatened to “bore her” if she did not shut up.

Branker then pushed his hands into the woman’s pajamas and proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her against her will. After he committed the act, Branker made good his escape, and the woman sought help from neighbours.

She was taken to the Police Station and then to the hospital for doctors to examine her. Branker was subsequently apprehended and charged with the crime.

Branker, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson at his second trial, contended that he did not commit the crime.