Daniel Denaro Reece was jailed on Wednesday after admitting to trying to rape his friend’s girlfriend, stealing from Crumbz Bakery and assaulting a security guard last week.
But as he pleaded guilty to the first crime – assaulting a woman with intent to rape her on April 10 – the 31-year-old from 1st Avenue Bank Hall, St Michael told Magistrate Alison Burke in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court that he never intended to hurt the woman because he liked her and had hoped she would return the feelings.
Outlining the facts of that case, court prosecutor Constable Ralph Rollock said that Reece was a friend of the complainant’s boyfriend but had made several efforts to encourage the woman to have sex with him. However, she rebuffed his advances.
Last Wednesday, as she was walking through a gap, she heard footsteps behind her and someone then pushed her to the ground and got on top of her. A struggle ensued and she recognised her attacker as Reece. He tried to take off her pants but in an effort to defend herself, she grabbed an object she had in her bag and Reece got up and ran off.
The matter was reported to police and Reece was arrested.
He also pleaded guilty to stealing two cakes valued at $46.16 and assaulting security guard Tara Clarke the following day.
According to the prosecutor, Reece went into the Eagle Hall, St Michael outlet of Crumbz Bakery, picked up the cakes and headed towards the door. When Clarke approached him, he pulled a cutlass from the waist of his pants and threatened her, and the guard withdrew in fear.
However, in court, Reece denied that he had pulled the cutlass on the guard, saying it came out after he had left the bakery and was outside picking up his bicycle.
“I had a cutlass but I did not threaten anyone. I had the two cakes holding and the cutlass begin to fall out, and I pull it out and hold onto it in front of me, so the guard probably thought I pulled it on her, but I didn’t,” he said, urging the court to check the establishment’s security cameras.
Reece admitted to Magistrate Burke that at the time he committed the crime, he was under the influence of cocaine. He pleaded with the court for assistance in breaking his drug habit.
“I am a man who comes to court and tell the truth,” said Reece, who had 21 previous convictions.
Magistrate Burke sentenced him to Dodds Prison for three months for the assault on Clarke, two months for the cake theft, and nine months for the assault of the female he attempted to rape.
The sentences will run consecutively.
