Forty-nine-year-old fish vendor, Compton Fecker was yesterday handed a 5-year sentence even after paying $500,000 in compensation to a man whom he had beaten with a hammer back in 2015, rendering him partially visually impaired.
On January 15th, a jury unanimously found Fecker, called ‘Chappy,’ guilty of feloniously wounding Alvin Melville on March 19th, 2015 at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
His sentencing had, however, been deferred for a probation report.
At the hearing yesterday afternoon, Fecker’s attorney Adrian Thompson said that he was in possession of the money to compensate Melville who indicated he would accept.
Before any handover, however, the judge informed Fecker that the offence for which he was convicted carries a maximum sentence of life, but explained that having considered all the circumstances—both mitigating and aggravating, he would be sentenced to a term of imprisonment for five years.
The judge started at a base of seven and a half years; but deducted one year for time Fecker had spent behind bars before being able to post bail, an additional year for compensating the complainant and half a year for mitigating factors in his favour.
Fecker appeared visibly surprised after the judge announced the sentence.
Justice Reynolds underscored the seriousness of the offence which could have cost Melville his life, but noted that while fortunately the man survived, the injuries he suffered did not go unnoticed by the court.
Describing the attack as “wholly unprovoked,” the judge noted, too, the manner in which the unsuspecting and defenceless complainant was ambushed by Fecker who had beaten him in the head with a hammer from which he now suffers limited vision, loss of hearing, constant headaches and difficulty sleeping at nights.
The judge noted also that over the years, while Fecker had been able to lead a normal life, Melville has had to endure one that was subpar.
Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial had lamented the complainant’s inability to work because of the injuries sustained, stating that had Fecker had any regard for loving his neighbour, the end result could have been different.
Meanwhile, Thompson had commended for the judge’s consideration the fact that his client had no antecedents and was willing to compensate the complainant.
When the report was presented, Probation and Social Services Officer Zola Cameron-Lubin had said her investigations revealed that Fecker became high-tempered whenever he was under the influence of alcohol.
The facts of the case are that on the day in question the parties were involved in an argument when Fecker armed himself with a hammer and dealt Melville several blows to his head.
