_{Bert Vasquez}

by Roy Davis (freelance writer)

BELIZE CITY, Tues. Mar. 4, 2025

In a judgment handed down today that was 26 pages long, the Belize Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of Bert Vasquez, 40, aka Bert Haylock, who was convicted of attempted rape and was sentenced to 4 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence that he is serving.

Vasquez’s conviction and sentence were affirmed.

On November 7, 2018, after a trial that lasted three days, Vasquez was convicted of attempting to commit rape, and he was sentenced to four years imprisonment, with the stipulation that the sentence was to run consecutively to any other sentence he was currently serving. At the time, Vasquez was serving concurrent sentences of 10 years and 3 years, due to previous convictions on July 10, 2017, for separate offenses of forcible abduction and aggravated assault of an indecent nature, respectively.

The conviction that Haylock had been trying to overturn through this appeal stemmed from an incident that occurred on January 25, 2011. The trial began on November 5, 2018. The case for the prosecution was based on the evidence of 4 witnesses, one of whom was the complainant. According to the evidence, Vasquez offered the complainant, who was walking home from work, a ride home in his vehicle. The young woman had apparently known him for several years, since Vasquez had chaperoned her and her boyfriend, so she accepted the ride. Reportedly, Vasquez had some luggage in the front seat, so she sat down in the back seat.

But instead of taking her home, Vasquez drove in the opposite direction to her house. He told her that he had to pick up someone, and he borrowed her cell phone, telling her that he wanted to call the person he was going to pick up. According to the complainant, he kept her phone, and he started a conversation with her about wanting to have a relationship with her. He then stopped the vehicle in a secluded area and he told her that he wanted her on that very night, and got on top of her and remained there for about 5 minutes. He reportedly then told her that if she did not cooperate she would get hurt.

A vehicle approached the location where Haylock had parked the car, however, so he drove off and took her to another location. He then tapped a bag he had in the front seat, and he told her that he had a licensed firearm in it. He apologized to her for being rough, but he said it was because she rejected him; and then he went on to say that they had to finish what they started.

Half-naked, she tried to climb to the front seat of the vehicle where her clothes were, but he told her that she did not need any clothes. She then asked to use her phone to call her mother, because her mother would be wondering where she was. He complied, and she called her mother and told her mother that she would be home in 10 minutes. According to the victim, he then asked her why she told her mother that she would be home in 10 minutes when he needed to have at least an hour with her.

Someone turned on the lights of a vehicle that was in the area, however, and Vasquez decided to abandon his quest and he took her home. They remained in the car for about 90 minutes while he tried to persuade her not to say anything to anyone.

Vasquez testified under oath at the trial and his defense was that of an alibi. He admitted that he knew the complainant, but claimed that he was not with her at the time of the incident. He said that he was with her the day before, and he did not hold her against her will and attempt to rape her.

Vasquez appealed against his conviction and sentence on four grounds. He asked for a stay of the indictment because his right to a fair trial had been breached, because he was not granted a trial within a reasonable time. He asked for a stay of the proceedings on the basis that his constitutional rights were breached. He said that the learned trial judge had erred in not giving the jury a good character direction. He contended that the judge erred in not giving the jury a proper direction on alibi; and the judge erred in not directing the jury on the alternative charge of aggravated assault of an indecent nature. Also, he said that the jury’s verdict was unreasonable, and could not be fully supported by the totality of the evidence adduced by the Crown.

All the grounds were dismissed by the Belize Court of Appeal.

As to the appeal of his sentence, the court did not address it, because it was filed outside of the time limit for appeal.

Vasquez represented himself at the appeal hearing. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lyn Vidal, represented the Respondent.