April 9, 2008 — Gregory Gilbert of Frederiksted was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated rape Wednesday in V.I. Superior Court on St. Croix. Gilbert was convicted in November 2007 of a rape committed in June 2005. Under V.I. law, 10 years is the minimum sentence.
Speaking on his own behalf prior to sentencing, Gilbert referred to the crime as the "incident," and said the act was consensual. He also said he was sorry and took responsibility for what he had done.
"The measure of a man is how he treats those who are least capable of defending themselves," Superior Court Judge Darryl Donohue said. "You lured this person, who is quite small by the way, to your house under the guise of teaching. … You made a decision to prey upon her."
"By law, you have a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life," Donohue said. "To give you the minimum would tell you and the public I'd give you less if I could."
When Donohue pronounced the sentence, Gilbert's mother began weeping and after a minute was led from the courtroom.
Gilbert will be eligible for parole in 10 years.
Also on the docket Wednesday was Jeffery Warner, the convicted serial rapist and murderer who escaped from Golden Grove Correctional Facility in March, who was to be arraigned for the charge of escape. ( See "Escaped Murderer Captured on St. Croix.")
Warner was not present. Chief Public Defender Harold Willocks entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
A trial date on the charge of escape was set for June 16 at 9 a.m in V.I. Superior Court on St. Croix.
Warner, 45, was convicted Nov. 13, 2002, of murder in the second degree and three counts of aggravated rape. The convictions are for three separate rapes of three teenage girls at knifepoint and the brutal murder of a fourth. Several additional rape charges were dropped under a plea agreement.
The crimes occurred on St. Thomas.
Warner was originally sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the rapes and life for the murder. On April 9, the life term for murder was changed to 40 years to comply with an appellate ruling. The change does not affect the actual time Warner will serve.
Stories in several media outlets have given varying estimates of the time Warner must serve before he is up for parole. The text of V.I. code on penalties for aggravated rape and for second degree murder mandate a minimum of 15 years on the first aggravated rape conviction, 25 years each on the subsequent two, and an additional 15 years on the murder charge. By that measure, Warner could be up for parole in 80 years. If convicted of the charge of escape, he could face an additional five years.
Ivan Petric, charged with three counts of murder in the first degree for the deaths of three close family members, was in court briefly. (See "Update: Police Arrest Suspect in La Vallee Triple Homicide.")
Petric, in leg irons, handcuffs and slippers rather than shoes, did not speak at all but sat staring ahead, rocking slightly. Prosecution and defense agreed to a psychiatric evaluation of Petric and Donohue scheduled a hearing on the disposition of the case for May 21.
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