Child rapist gets 25 years behind bars

Ivor Laud, who is in his late 30s, was Thursday sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment on two counts of rape committed on an eight-year-old girl. The sentence was imposed by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the High Court in Georgetown.

Between March 01 and 31, 2015, he engaged in sexual penetration with the girl when she was eight years old. Two years later, in 2017, when the girl turned 10, he continued the unlawful act.

Laud was found guilty on both counts after a jury returned from deliberations earlier this month. His sentence was deferred until today for the presentation of a probation report and victim impact statement.

On the first count, Laud was sentenced to 22 years in prison and 25 years on the second count. The judge however ordered that the two sentences are to be served concurrently.

According to the facts of the matter, between March 1 and 31, 2015, in the county of Demerara, Laud called the girl over to his house. When the girl followed him inside, he took her into a bedroom where he placed her to lie on a bed and performed the unlawful act.

In his address to the court, the crying child rapist begged the judge for leniency. “Your honour, I am begging you please see what you can do for me,” Laud pleaded.

Notwithstanding the guilty verdicts, the man maintained that he was innocent of the crime.

In sentencing Laud, the judge took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the prevalence and serious nature of the offence and the fact that he breached a position of trust since he knew the girl from since she was a toddler.

Throughout the trial, Laud was represented by Attorney-at-Law Rachael Bakker, while the case for the State was presented by Prosecutors Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig.