Home invading rapist jailed for 14 years
Andre Chase (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
(CNS): A 23-year-old man from West Bay has been given a fourteen-year jail term for rape and aggravated burglary, in what was described as “an horrific attack” by the judge presiding over the case, as well as several other break-ins that all happened in July of last year. Andre Chase pleaded guilty on the eve of his trial in August, saving the victim from the further ordeal of testifying about the terrifying night when he broke into her West Bay home, put a rope around her neck, and raped her at knife-point.
Justice Micheal Mettyear told the court Wednesday that it was a “terrible thing to do to a woman in her own home”, as he jailed the young man, who has a very long “troubling” rap-sheet going back to when he was a teenager and has serious mental health challenges.
Chase broke into the woman’s apartment in the evening of 23 July 2015 when she was home alone and demanded cash. Finding the strange man inside her apartment, the victim went to get her wallet, thinking he would leave if she gave him money. But instead he attacked her putting a rope around her neck and strangling her. Pulling out a knife and forcing her upstairs to a bedroom he made her remove her clothes before raping her, as she begged him not to do it.
Ejaculating on her abdomen and forcing her to shower twice, he punched her and “humiliated her further”, the judge added, as he ordered her “to wash good” in order to remove the evidence of the sexual attack.
Chase made his escape, taking several of the woman’s possessions as he left, but he was spotted in the area by police on patrol after someone had reported a prowler. Chase escaped before the police were alerted to the attack, but having left DNA and fingerprints, he was arrested five days later after a pursuit and charged shortly after.
Chase denied the allegations, but after more than a year on remand and just before his trial last month, he came clean after what was described as a sudden but marked change in his behavior. According to his defence attorney, Chase, who has been dealing with mental health difficulties since he was a child, had finally come to recognise his crimes and had come to terms with what he has done.
The court heard that during the same month, just days before the attack, he had broken into or tried to break into five other premises in and around the same area of West Bay, stealing cash, clothes, money and electronics.
Chase pleaded guilty to all of the offences Wednesday ahead of the sentencing for the rape. Given the seriousness of the attack, however, the judge had to consider the totality of the sentence. After handing Chase 13 years for the rape, discounted from 15 years for his admission, and ten years for the aggravated burglary, to run concurrently, he added another five twelve-month concurrent sentences for the burglaries onto the 13 years, arriving at an overall term of 14 years imprisonment.
The court heard that the woman, who is an American citizen, had resigned from her job and left Cayman after the attack.
She had given a victim impact statement to the court but had asked that it not be read in public. The judge, however, said it made harrowing reading. He said the woman had made it clear she was not seeking revenge against Chase and had shown remarkable generosity of spirit, but she had suffered appallingly as a result of the attack.
Category: Local News
He looks like he is related to many people on island
Deportation order?
I knew you would say this!
He’s caymanian
Only 14 years!?
Something is clearly wrong with the justice system that we have in the Cayman Islands.
8:17 pm, 14 years was good for raping a woman, not under age girl, the B S was 6 years for that drunk scum with a rap as long as your arm that killed the young man on his bicycle going to work. CAYMAN justice is really unfair, seems like no common sense is involved in the criminal cases.
I would support any law that proposes to add castration to the sentencing of any and all rapist. They would also be allowed to keep their severed part as a souvenir. Yes, this punishment may sound a bit medieval in nature; but I would bet all I own that rape would drop to zero. Did I mention there would be no anesthesia allowed during the process?
Rape should be a life sentence and non negotiable. That is a pain all victims live with forever.
1:38 pm what about when someone murders another, that person is gone forever, NOT taken up for rapist, but at least the person is still alive. Agreed the rapist should get the max. and also the killer should get the max too, not just 6 years.
It is these horrific acts that sadly Caymanians will continue to face with an escalating rise in population of people who can show up and get status and use their mindset of criminal aggressive behaviour, even in a home!! Makes me sick to my stomach to think of what is happening all because of greed, rapid overdevelopment for developers, greedy leaders who can’t wait to have millions and for what? To have their children exposed to the type of society where they can’t enjoy the comfort of their homes, the beaches and being able to live freely without fear of terror in the schools or homes???
Sad, sad thing to say but life does teach us that until they (the leaders) feel it themselves they MIGHT consider making some changes and focus on prevention.
This predator has a long history of this type of crime. He needs lots of psychological, psychiatric and other assistance. Obviously if the country cannot afford to rehabilitate these types of offenders, then please let them rot, yes rot in jail. Fourteen years with a one third remission only to be on the street again to rape another innocent victim. If he rapes any of family member after release; please note, i will take justice in my own hand and it will not be pretty!!!!!!
I am so with you on that one!!
What do you bet that this wasn’t his first such attack. Often such horrible crimes are not reported. Thank goodness this predator is off the streets.
this should have been 25 plus years! absolute joke!!!!
This menace to society should have been put away for life plus some.
I think the death penalty is appropriate for forcible rape!
What rape isn’t forcible?
On a technicality, all rape is forcible
wow Jackson Rippah, wrong words my friend, trust me, many husbands would be in jail if there were accurate convictions of ‘forced rape’ but some still believe mere consenting to presence or a ring is a yes
In time these boys will learn the hard way because they have not yet met the right individual. I will be completely honest and tell you something, if you come at me or my sister you won’t need to worry about a court date.
These boys only understand one language. Before I let you impregnate me or pass an STD to me I would rather dismember you, I would fight till the last breath to protect my modesty and integrity. They ought to tie him to a tree outside HMP for a month before letting him in the front gate!
Vanilla, agree 100%. To live among wolves is to howl as one.
This is not promoting violence, this is delivering justice.
I’m not a Muslim but I would support Sharia Law for certain crimes in Cayman to include Murder, rape of a woman, man or child.
Under Sharia Law he would not be charged with rape; instead, she would be stoned to death for adultery. Are you sure that’s what you had in mind?
yeah right! under Sharia law he would not be charged..you indeed do not know anything but what you assume. I am sure 100% that under any system of law including any of the muslim faith that they have ways of dealing with rapist. Don’t be daft…, just because it doesn’t meet your requirement of “right” does not give you or make you correct to judge another system or cultural using your own as a measuring stick.
The sentences should have been consecutive.
He should have a life sentence in solitary confinement. he stole her mental security for life
My cousin was raped 18 years ago. It damaged her psyche deeply. It affected how she is raising her kids being overprotective to a fault. She is on antidepressants since then. She is damaged for life. Her family is suffering.
Giving lenient sentences to rapists as this one or the one who used “a prostitite” excuse just adds insult to the injury.
The statement “terrible thing to do to a woman in her own home” is wrong on many levels. It was a horrific thing, not terrible. And” in her home” really makes no sense. As if it happened someplace else it would have been less terrible?
Being a man, Justice Micheal Mettyear would never understand the horror of being raped.
Letting two perverts go unpunished who sexually abused a little girl is another example of injustice.
He isn’t that mental that he doesn’t know how to cover up his tracks. The sooner we get rid of persons of his character the safer we all will be. Why wait until he commits such a criminal act to incarcerate him?
This is island is too small for any man who rapes me to think of us coexisting. He better “get” me, before I “get” him…Ole Sick Bastard!
My goodness. What an cannibal! He deserves a much, much longer custodial sentence. My heart goes out to the victim. I hope and pray that (some) normalcy can or has returned to her life despite such a traumatic experience. I truly wish her well.
Should have been life but I hope he does something inside to keep him longer!