Amidst loud wails, former television cameraman Andre Hetsberger was yesterday sentenced to 25 years in jail after a jury unanimously found him guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl.
A visibly shocked Hetsberger kneeled and cried out uncontrollably after the jury foreman announced the verdict at the High Court, in Georgetown.
“Why me oh God? Lord, why me?” he repeatedly asked with outstretched arms as he looked towards the roof.
The charge against Hetsberger, now 39, was that on October 17, 2014, at Georgetown, he sexually penetrated the child. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The trial which started on Wednesday morning, saw six state witnesses taking the stand. It then wrapped up yesterday morning after Justice Navindra Singh, who presided over the trial, summed-up the case and handed it over to the jury.
After about two hours of deliberations, the 12-member mixed jury returned its unanimous guilty verdict.
Hetsberger and his many relatives who attended the hearing cried to the top of their lungs when Justice Singh announced the 25-year prison sentence.
It was at this point that chaos broke-out in the courtroom as relatives of the convict began hurling insults at relatives of the victim even as the judge was still on the bench.
The marshal’s call for order was no match for the loud screams and wails emanating from Hetsberger’s relatives.
Hetsberger’s wife had to be physically restrained by police officers as she tried to advance towards relatives of the victim while hurling insults and threats. “Me God don’t sleep! I lef y’all to God,” the woman, who fell to her knees, exclaimed.
The display by the convict’s family caused Justice Singh to order that they immediately be removed from the courtroom. They nonetheless continued on their way out, prompting the judge to caution that they could find themselves joining Hetsberger.
In mitigation, defence attorney Lawrence Harris begged the court for lenience, while noting that Hetsberger had no previous convictions.
Prosecutor Siand Dhurjon, however, asked the court to consider in sentencing that the convict had abused a position of trust. He also asked the judge to take into consideration the young age of the girl at the time of the rape as well as the long-term effect that sexual abuse can have on such a person.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Justice Singh informed the convict that he would be sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
After the hearing, officers had to remove the bench from the prisoner’s dock in a bid to clear the way to remove Hetsberger, who gripped the rails while still professing his innocence.
“I say is not me,” he sobbed.
Meanwhile, on the corridors outside, the tension built up among the convict’s relatives as they anticipated his exit from the courtroom. Resultantly, police were forced to use an alternative point of exit and managed to quickly usher Hetsberger into the police outpost and not the usual prisoner’s holding cell.
The chaos caused disruption to proceedings in other courts and attracted the attention of many court staffers, scores of curious onlookers in passing vehicles and other persons who congregated on the streets to get a glimpse of what was happening.
Owing to the commotion from Hetsberger’s relatives and his cries of not wanting to go to prison, police had to call for back-up to maintain order.
After the additional ranks arrived, they entered the police outpost and later emerged with a still sobbing but more composed Hetsberger.
By this time, his relatives were calmer as well as they watched him being led to the police escort vehicle to be taken to the Camp Street Prison.
As he was being escorted to the vehicle, lawmen, in a bid to get Hetsberger to stop crying so uncontrollably, were heard trying to coax him to “be strong.” “If yuh cry, yuh gon only break down yuh-self man,” one of them said to him. “Bear-up, bear-up and be strong man,” the police added.
“God is in-charge,” some of his relatives reminded Hetsberger.
The state was represented by Dhurjon in association with prosecutor Michael Shahoud. The trial proceedings were held in camera.
