By Breaking Belize News Staff: Rupert Codd, a 25-year-old resident of Mile 5 on the Philip Goldson Highway, was found guilty of rape on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, by High Court Justice Derick F. Sylvester.
The verdict was handed down at 9:30 a.m. following a bench trial in the High Court of Belize. Codd was accused of raping a 35-year-old woman on picnic table in the early morning hours of April 2, 2023, outside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).
According to the evidence presented in court, the victim was unwell and walking to KHMH to seek medical attention around 3:00 a.m. when she was accosted before entering the facility. Codd physically assaulted her, dragged her onto a nearby picnic table, and raped her.
During the trial, Crown Prosecutor Maria Santana Nembhard called 11 witnesses and submitted key evidence, including a 37-second video showing a man in yellow shorts and red sneakers walking near Brad’s Store toward Freetown Road. A police officer who attended primary school with Codd positively identified him from the footage.
Codd, who was represented by attorney Michael Peyrefitte, admitted to being at the scene and physically assaulting the woman, but denied having sex with her. He claimed he had left a nightclub, stopped to urinate behind a building near the Belcan area, and placed his wallet and phone on a picnic table. Codd alleged that when he returned, his items were missing and he confronted the woman, claiming he found his missing belongings inside her bosom. In his 30-page judgment, Justice Sylvester rejected Codd’s narrative as a fabricated story concocted to explain his presence at the crime scene.
Although there was no DNA testing linking hair found on Codd’s clothing to the victim, Justice Sylvester concluded that the Crown successfully proved all essential elements of the crime: that penetration occurred, that it was committed by Codd, and that it was without consent. Justice Sylvester noted minor inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony but deemed them irrelevant to the charge, finding her account credible and reliable while rejecting Codd’s defense.
Following the verdict, Codd was remanded back into custody until his sentencing hearing on November 9, 2026, when Justice Sylvester will consider a mitigation plea on his behalf. Prior to sentencing, the court ordered a Social Inquiry Report, a Victim Impact Statement, an Antecedent Report detailing Codd’s criminal history, and a Prison Report. Under Belizean law, Codd faces a minimum penalty of eight years up to life imprisonment.
The post High Court finds Rupert Codd guilty of raping sick woman on picnic table outside KHMH appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Rupert Codd, a 25-year-old resident of Mile 5 on the Philip Goldson Highway, was found guilty of rape on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, by High Court Justice Derick F. Sylvester. The verdict was handed down at 9:30 a.m. following a bench trial in the High Court of Belize. Codd was
The post High Court finds Rupert Codd guilty of raping sick woman on picnic table outside KHMH appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
