The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 32-year-old man who masturbated in front of a woman with whom he shared a cell last year was sentenced to 30 months in prison yesterday.

Ryan Bodie received the prison sentence from Magistrate Kendra Kelly, months after he pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a 25-year-old woman while the two were detained in a holding cell at the East Street South Police Station on October 21, 2021.

 The woman told police she was initially searched and placed in a holding cell by herself where she fell asleep. Sometime later, the woman said she was awakened by the cell door opening and officers putting a man inside with her.

 The woman was lying on a cement bench in the cell when she saw Bodie, who was lying down on the floor in front of the cell door, take out his penis and begin to masturbate before falling asleep.

 However, the woman said upon waking up, Bodie started to masturbate a second time while touching her hand and even told her he would rape her and give her AIDS while she was shouting for help.

 Bodie’s arrest on the day in question came after he threatened to kill his father and caused $260 worth of damage to the man’s vehicle earlier that morning.

 However, the charges in that matter were withdrawn by his father yesterday after he told the court he wanted to give his son a second chance.

 Before sentencing, the Crown prosecutor in the case, Sgt Vernon Pyfrom, requested the maximum penalty for Bodie, noting the severity of his actions.

 However, Bodie’s attorney asked the court to take into consideration Bodie’s improved demeanour since the day of his arrest.

 She also spoke of Bodie’s mental disorder, adding that he was taking his medications regularly.

 “I believe if he sticks with his medication along with… rehabilitation, therapy and counselling, he can be a productive citizen,” the attorney said of the father of one.

 In response, Magistrate Kelly said she would consider the defendant’s early guilty plea and his attorney’s plea in mitigation.

 However, the magistrate said while she too has seen some positive changes in Bodie’s behaviour since his time on remand, she could not overlook the seriousness of his actions.

 “What the defendant did was absolutely inexcusable, it was inexcusable,” she said.

 The magistrate admitted she blamed officers for putting Bodie in the same cell with a woman, but said it was still not an excuse for him to prey on the young complainant.

 In response, Bodie said he knew his actions were wrong and claimed he was under the influence of alcohol.

 “There is no excuse for that and there is nothing that you can say that someone did that caused you to behave like that,” the magistrate said.

 The magistrate added that a strong message needed to be sent to would-be offenders in society.

 As a result, Bodie was sentenced to two years and six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

 She also told him the sentence would run from the date of his incarceration last October.