Man to spend 16 years behind bars after threatening woman with a knife to do sexual acts

A MAN who led a woman into a forested area so that he could threaten her at knife point to do several sexual acts over a period of hours, will spend 16 years, four months behind bars.

The full extent of the criminality that took place at Terrance Dasent’s hands on July 16, 2019, was revealed when the facts agreed to by the state and the defense were read at the High Court last Wednesday, June 29.

Representing the crown was counsel Maria Jackson- Richards, while the lawyer representing Dasent was counsel Carl Williams.

It emerged that a 33-yearold mother of four whose children were then aged between one and 12 years old was Dasent’s chosen target. The two individuals had interacted before, but it was a conversation on July 15, 2019 that landed the victim on the path of his predation.

While at a shop in Little Tokyo in Kingstown the woman asked him for help paying her electricity and water bills which amounted to $400.

Dasent agreed, and the victim gave him her cellphone number as she boarded a van. They spoke that evening. The following morning she telephoned Dasent but was unsuccessful. However, he later returned her call and they planned to meet later that day. He also asked at that point to speak with the victim’s father and he did so.

At around 11:00 a.m the woman left her home and called Dasent who told her to meet him at a gap in Kelbourney.

They met and he told her that his aunt was going to lend him the funds. Pointing to an area where he said his aunt lived, he indicated that she should come along with him. He then led her into a cold, damp, forested area. After a while the victim questioned the absence of any houses, but Dasent told her they would reach his aunt’s house soon.

They passed a cliff, and reached a concrete structure with vines growing on it. There Dasent pretended to be tired, turned around and kissed her. She pushed him away but Dasent persisted and grabbed her hands in order to fondle her.

He then removed her clothes and raped her. He did not use protection.

When he was finished, the victim asked him why he didn’t tell her he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her and he replied that he knew she wouldn’t have agreed.

There was a point after this that the victim tried to run away, screaming. However, she fell and Dasent grabbed her by her shirt, took out a white handled, silver blade knife and demanded to know why she ran and screamed.

He used the threat of the knife to execute a series of demands with a view to raping the victim twice more and having her perform oral sex on him twice.

In between the acts of violation, Dasent told the victim that he had thrown dead bodies of girls he raped over the cliff.

Although the woman begged to be released to return to her children, he told her to “shut her mouth” that he didn’t want to hear about her children. Her cellphone rang twice and she was allowed to answer it. He then told her about his child and that he did not want to go to prison again. Dasent was concerned she would report the matter if released, and the victim had to convince him that she would not.

Using the light from her cell phone, he led the way out of the forested area.

At the main road Dasent asked a police officer for a dollar as the woman did not have money to travel. Dasent also waited with her for a passenger van and even spoke with her father during this time about her late return home. She arrived home around 8:30/9:00 in the night.

The victim spoke with her father and reported the matter to the Calliaqua police station. In an interview with the police, Dasent claimed the sexual intercourse was consensual and that he gave her $600.

He was later arrested and charged. Before the High Court he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault and one count of abduction.

Justice Angelica Teelucksingh- Ramoutar, in sentencing the offender, had the benefit of a social inquiry report and a statement from the victim on the impact the crime had on her.

There were mixed reviews in the offender’s community, as some expressed surprise at his actions and that he was a “good guy”, while others said that he was a threat to the ladies in the area and it was more peaceful without him.

The woman that he had raped multiple times still cannot sleep at nights.

In May 2022, she told the case worker “After the incident I had difficulty sleeping and lost my appetite to eat due to constantly studying the incident. I was relieved when the police arrested the defendant and after he was in police custody.”

She said that even afterwards he has been reaching out to her while in prison.

“The defendant had a knife and had threatened to kill me and I felt like I would not be able to see my children again,” she also said.

Another fear she had to contend with was whether she had been exposed to sexually transmitted diseases.

The victim has moved house since she no longer feels comfortable and tries to get back home before dark.

“I avoid watching television shows that depict criminal activities such as criminal minds and conversations that have to deal with rape,” she revealed.

It is noteworthy that minutes before Dasent was sentenced last week, he made certain comments while the court was discussing the category of the victim’s psychological harm with his lawyer.The offender, among other things, claimed that the victim saw him the other day and spoke well with him.

“I know for myself it have worser ting happen to that young lady than what she met happen between both of us,” Dasent, who insisted on speaking his piece, also said.

He was told that the court did not want to move away from the case before it.

When it came time to deliver the sentence, the judge began with the first count, which was rape.

“I’ve considered the facts of this case would place it in a category one, exceptional,” she stated, adding, “I have regard to the extreme psychological harm experienced by the victim based on the victim statement, and it is evident that the victim is severely traumatised…” “This case I consider it to be a category of seriousness level A, High, in that this was a situation of abduction and, secondly, there was prolonged detention/a sustained incident where the victim left home on the day of the incident at about 11:00 a.m and reached home later that night some time around 8:30 p.m to 9:00 pm,”Teelucksingh-Ramoutar next indicated.

Using sentencing guidelines of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court she determined that a starting point of 22 years, six months would be appropriate.

Aggravating factors, including that “the prisoner ejaculated without the use of any condom, thereby placing the victim at a risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases”, caused the sentence to move upwards by three years.

However, mitigating factors of the offender were identified. These included “genuine remorse”. “The prisoner also indicated in open court his remorse and indicated that he was ‘sorry from the bottom of his heart,’” the judge stated.

There was also considered to be a potential for rehabilitation, with the prison authorities describing him as a good inmate, and certain members of the community also regarding him in a good light.

This left the court with a sentence of 24 years, six months. After the subtraction of one third for the guilty plea, the sentence was 16 years, four months.

Dasent was already in prison for nearly three years and therefore from the date of his sentencing he had 13 years, three months remaining.

This was the same for counts two and three.

For the three counts of indecent assault, he was sentenced to 162 days which was time served.

For abduction, he was sentenced to 2.06 years, which was also time served.

Since they arise out of one incident of criminality the sentences will run at the same time.