Cape Town - Convicted rapist Taariq Phillips has been sentenced to ten years behind bars for raping his girlfriend Sharisha Chauhan on Thursday at the Western Cape High Court.
Phillips was acquitted of murder but found guilty of two counts of rape on September 11.
He and his then-girlfriend were part of a group of friends and acquaintances who attended a rave party at the La Bac Estate in Paarl on New Year’s Eve, 2013, when Chauhan became ill early on January 1, 2014.
The woman was taken to the couple’s tent and after the pair were alone for some time, Chauhan started having seizures. It is alleged that at around midnight, Phillips, Chauhan and some friends took LSD, commonly known as acid and ecstasy.
She was transported to the Paarl Medi-Clinic where she died later on New Year’s Day.
An autopsy report showed she had been vaginally and anally raped.
Convicted rapist Taariq Phillips has been sentenced to ten years behind bars for raping his girlfriend Sharisha Chauhan.
— Cape Argus (@TheCapeArgus) December 13, 2018
Phillips, who had remained tight-lipped through the trial, took the stand last month when the court heard arguments for aggravation and mitigation on sentencing.
Phillips took the stand, not to tell the court what happened in the tent he shared with Chauhan, but to testify about the “broken man” he is now. He had told about the love he and Chauhan, had shared.
“Our love was so deep that the ocean would be jealous. Sharisha and I initiated a strong connection from the beginning. Words can’t describe the connection we had. We discussed future plans of living together, tying the knot as soon as she completed her studies,” he said at the time.
@TheCapeArgus