Ex-Police Officer Awaits New Sentence After Jail Term Overturned

A former police officer convicted of sexual assault is now awaiting a new sentence after the High Court overturned his original eight-month jail term but upheld his conviction.  Brigilio Ack returned to court today before Justice Nigel Pilgrim for a resentencing hearing, where his attorney is pushing for a suspended sentence instead of further imprisonment. Ack had already served five and a half months of his original eight-month sentence before it was quashed on appeal.  The case dates back to August 2025, when a Senior Magistrate in Belize City found Ack guilty of sexually assaulting a female colleague at the Rocky Road Police Booth. In delivering that judgment, the court underscored the seriousness of the offense, highlighting the breach of trust by a law enforcement officer.  On appeal, while the conviction was affirmed, the sentence was set aside, and Ack was remanded to the Belize Central Prison pending today’s resentencing proceedings.  In court, Ack’s attorney, Rachel Montejo, urged the judge to exercise leniency, pointing to the significant consequences already faced by her client. She noted that Ack lost his position with the Belize Police Department, forfeited more than twenty years of service, and now faces an uncertain future without retirement benefits. Montejo also emphasized that Ack has strong family support and argued that a suspended sentence with strict conditions would be appropriate.  She further submitted that her client faces heightened risk while incarcerated as a former police officer and asked the court to “temper justice with mercy.”  However, the prosecution took a different stance. Crown Counsel Kirk Brown told the court that under the Sentencing Guidelines for Sexual Offences, the appropriate starting point for such offenses is two and a half years’ imprisonment. Brown stressed that the sentence must reflect the harm done to the victim, who, according to testimony, experienced humiliation, fear, and emotional distress following the incident.  The court also heard submissions on the classification of harm and culpability, with the Crown arguing for a higher level of seriousness given Ack’s position of authority at the time of the offense.  Justice Pilgrim has since reserved his decision and is expected to deliver the new sentence on May 7. Ack, who was previously granted bail of twelve thousand dollars while awaiting his appeal, now remains in custody as he awaits the court’s final determination.