HIV POSITIVE BRISTOL RAPIST GIFT VEREMU SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN HARTCLIFFE

In December 2012, Gift Veremu, a 51-year-old man from Tynte Avenue in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of a serious sexual assault. Veremu, who is HIV positive, was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl in April 2010 during a trial held at Bristol Crown Court. However, he was acquitted of an earlier allegation involving an older woman that was reported to have taken place between September and November 2009.

During the trial, the court heard harrowing testimony from the teenage victim, who was unable to be identified publicly. She recounted the traumatic experience of being dragged into a bedroom by Veremu, who then assaulted her. The girl described how she was overwhelmed by shock and fear, unable to resist or fight back during the attack. She tearfully explained to the jury that she started crying as Veremu raped her, and that he subsequently offered her money to keep quiet about what had happened.

"I just started crying," she told the court. "I tried to struggle but he wouldn’t let me back up. I had no chance. I just laid there and gave up. After about five minutes, he got off me, told me not to tell anyone, and said he’d give me money."

This case marked the second time Veremu faced trial for the assault on the teenage girl. The previous trial, held the year before, was halted due to a legal error involving a juror viewing an unedited police interview, which led to the trial being declared unsafe. The court also heard that the older woman, who accused Veremu of assaulting her, had come forward after reading about the earlier trial.

Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC delivered the sentence, condemning Veremu to eight years behind bars for his crimes. The court’s decision underscores the severity of the offenses and the impact on the victims involved.