Sentenced back in July to a total of 50 years—of which he is required to only serve half of that amount for raping a school girl he transported to lessons, Inteaz Mohamed has filed an appeal, arguing that the sentence is too harsh.
In his notice of appeal lodged with the Guyana Court of Appeal, the Appellant says that he is dissatisfied not only with the sentence, but the conviction against him as well which he wants set aside.
In his application to the appellate court, Mohamed said he is “dissatisfied with the whole of the sentencing,” which he describes as “unduly severe and/or harsh.”
Through his attorneys Sanjeev Datadin and Donavon Rangiah, he wants both his conviction and sentence to be “set aside and/or reversed.”
Back in June, a jury convicted Mohamed on two counts of raping the 15-year-old girl.
Describing his actions as “predatory” and his thoughts “beastly,” Justice Brassington Reynolds sentenced the 44-year-old minibus driver to 25 years on each count; but ordered that they be served concurrently.
Underscoring the need to send a strong message to potential offenders, whom he said may be harbouring the same “beastly thoughts,” Justice Reynolds had said that the Court needed to “set its face against” the scourge of sexual offences and the continuing disregard of those minibus and hire car drivers who transport children and view such acts as “fair game,” or that the children “are theirs for the taking.”
In a stern reprimand, the judge had told Mohamed, who continued to maintain his innocence, that he had violated the bodily integrity of the child and breached the trust not only she, but her parents and family had reposed in him.
Mohamed’s story has been that he had been wrongfully accused.
Justice Reynolds told him that he could get no credit for disregarding the verdict of his peers, his lack of remorse and not taking responsibility for what he had done.
By a majority of 10 to 1 for both counts, the jury had found Mohamed guilty of the offences.
The first charge stated that between September 1st and 30th, 2014, in the county of Demerara, he sexually penetrated the child; and then again between January 1st, and 31st the following year.
The prosecution’s case was that in September of 2014, the accused picked the victim up from her lessons and took her to Turkeyen road, where MovieTowne is now located, and held a knife to her and told her not to scream. He then raped her. Afterward, he threatened to kill both of them if she told anyone. He also told her he would be charged with rape if she talked.
Then in January 2015, the prosecutor had said, Mohamed again picked the girl up from lessons and drove to the Turkeyen location and raped her again. He had the same knife in the vehicle as he did before and he threatened to kill her and himself if she told anyone what had happened.
