Leyrone Sandiford, called “Stammer,” who had earlier this month pleaded guilty to raping a nine-year-old girl, was yesterday sentenced to 18 years in prison.
After hearing the prosecution’s facts and a probation report at the High Court yesterday, Justice Franklyn Holder told Sandiford that he found his actions to have been “most wicked” and “despicable.”
The judge rhetorically asked the man what was wrong with him, before adding that he had found his actions to have been “deliberate and calculated.”Justice Holder explained to Sandiford that the offence carries a maximum life sentence. The judge, however, told the man that he was starting the sentence at 26 years. He then deducted four years for the time Sandiford had spent in prison so far and an additional four years for not wasting the court’s time. Asked whether he had anything to say before being sentenced, the unrepresented Sandiford, who initially seemed confused by the question, eventually said, “Yeah, ah feel guilty. Ah sorry,” after the judge enquired whether he was sorry for what he had done.
On March 16, Sandiford had accepted the indictment, which stated that between May 1 and May 31, 2011, he had sexually penetrated a girl under the age of 16 years; being a nine-year-old girl.
The state was represented by prosecutor Orintha Schmidt, in association with attorneys Teshana Lake and Shawnette Austin.
