Man Gets 4 Years for Burglary With Intent to Rape, Sentence Deemed Served

Lindon Requena has been sentenced to four years in prison for burglarizing his estranged wife’s home, but the court ruled that he had already served that time while awaiting trial. Requena remains behind bars, however, because he is serving a separate five-year sentence for breaching a protection order. The Chief Magistrate convicted Requena yesterday in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court of entering the woman’s home on April 7, 2022, with intent to rape. At the time, a protection order issued by the Belize Family Court prohibited him from approaching her residence.  During the trial, the woman testified that Requena entered her home uninvited at around seven that morning, carrying a machete. She said he attempted to force her into a sexual act, and a struggle followed when she refused.  In delivering the ruling, the Chief Magistrate noted that Requena knew about the protection order and had no permission to enter the premises. The court also considered his previous convictions, including breaches of protection orders, before imposing the four-year sentence.  Requena had spent more than four years and three months on remand, exceeding the sentence imposed for burglary. The court therefore deemed that sentence served, but he was returned to the Belize Central Prison to continue serving his separate sentence.  Requena appeared in court again today in an ongoing arson case. That matter was adjourned until October 13.