Two men who murdered a man before taking turns raping his female friend during a botched robbery are expected to be released from prison in less than 12 years.
High Court Judge Hayden St Clair-Douglas yesterday sentenced Desmond Cyrus and Michael Edwards to a total of 45 years in prison for their attack on a 25-year-old man and his friend, which occurred on November 26, 2005.
Guardian Media Ltd has opted not to use the victim’s name to protect the survivor’s identity.
In deciding on the sentences, St Clair-Douglas applied an automatic one-third discount as they pleaded guilty to the offences in May, last year.
He also subtracted the 12 years, four months and two weeks, they spent on remand before they were allowed to plead guilty.
They also pleaded guilty to charges of grievous sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery with violence, false imprisonment and attempted buggery.
As he passed the sentences, St Clair-Douglas noted the “extreme brutality and gratuitous acts of violence” committed against the couple.
While he acknowledged their expressions of remorse, he stated that there was a difference between that and their regret at being caught by police.
He also made note of victim impact statements from the female victim and the murdered man’s mother.
The female victim described her attackers as “animals” as she said that she was left mentally scarred by the sexual assault after witnessing the man’s murder.
The victim’s mother described her son’s death as “disturbing and disgusting” and said she continues to grieve and suffers from depression.
According to the evidence in the case, the couple was attacked by the Cyrus and Edwards as they stopped at a bar in Freeport.
The duo demanded the couple’s bank cards and cash but was not satisfied by what they got.
They forced the man to drive to a lonely area in Carlsen Field, where they beat him unconscious.
They then raped his friend four times and forced her to perform oral sex on them. They kicked her in her back, chest and stomach and threatened to mutilate her nipples and vagina.
After the assault, which lasted several hours, they drove off with the woman before throwing her out of the car. She walked to a nearby community and called the police.
The male victim, who suffered more than 90 per cent damage to his brain, was taken to hospital but died the following morning.
Cyrus and Edwards were represented by Keith Scotland and Kirk Hogan while Veona Neal-Munroe prosecuted.