Senator and an Ontario couple then sexually assaulted the woman -- was yesterday sentenced to 24 years in prison in the Bermuda Supreme Court.

Anthony Ricardo Richardson showed no emotion as Chief Justice Austin Ward passed sentence; he handed Richardson a 24-year term for the serious sexual assault and ten years for three counts of armed robbery, to run concurrently.

"By any standards the circumstances of this offence are most grave. I have taken into account the plea of guilty, but the request for a Newton hearing did not assist the victims in forgetting their ordeal,'' said Mr. Justice Ward.

Moments earlier, Richardson told a hushed courtroom he had been at the lowest point of his life on August 12 last year -- the day he broke into the Middle Road, Southampton, home of Telco executive Linda Oliver and confronted Nova Scotia Senator Donald Oliver and his two companions with a 12-inch knife.

"I'm sorry for the victims; sorry for putting them through the ordeal,'' Richardson told the court in a strong voice. "I hope they can recover spiritually and mentally...I understand all of Bermuda is embarrassed by what I've done. I'm ready to serve my time.'' Calling it a horrible and gruesome crime, Crown Counsel Khamisi Tokunbo told the court Richardson had terrorised his victims at knifepoint for more than an hour, then forced his female victim into "a disgusting sexual act''.

"The only thing by way of mitigation is his guilty plea and remorse for his actions,'' said Mr. Tokunbo. The damage however -- to the victims and to Bermuda's international image -- was incalculable, he said.

"This is a case where three armed robberies were committed simultaneously; Where the robbery was committed in the sanctity of a private house.

"People were tied up and kept in captivity, actually covered with bedding... He (Richardson) takes his female victim into a separate room and forces her into an indecent act, knowing she's terrified, with a knife to her head.'' Defence counsel Archie Warner told the court his client had a last minute change of heart and decided not to force the female victim to relive the crime on the witness stand.

Richardson, said Mr. Warner, had from the outset expressed remorse for what he had done and had pleaded guilty to all the charges.

"What we have here is a burglary gone terribly wrong; clearly this was a destitute man looking for food. He did seek out a house and broke into that house after ascertaining it was empty,'' said Mr. Warner.

But when the occupants returned, Richardson panicked; he tried to escape but found he was locked in.

"He did not set out to rob anyone in the fashion he did. He did not set out with sexual assault on his mind,'' said Mr. Warner.

Throughout the two-day sentencing Sen. Oliver and his two companions sat quietly in the back of the court. They had been flown in at taxpayers' expense and were expected to take the witness stand in a Newton hearing of the facts.

Instead they found themselves relegated to the role of observer after the defence revealed on Tuesday it was prepared to accept the Crown's summary of evidence.

Refusing to comment directly on the verdict, the trio issued a written statement at the conclusion of yesterday's proceedings before quickly leaving the court through a side door.

It said: "We are all relieved the ordeal is over; we can now put it behind us. It was most unfortunate we had to revisit our statements, prepare for cross examination and relive once again the life-threatening horror.

"We feel justice had been done. We were all very impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism of Crown Prosecutor Tokunbo and the good work done by (Sgt.) Graham Ward. We thank Chief Inspector Hall for his assistance,'' they added.