Twenty-one-year-old Mark Fontanelle whose aspiration is to be a pilot one day, begged for a “second chance” to chase his dreams before being sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl a year ago.
In his impassioned plea to Justice Sandil Kissoon, the young man who admitted to raping the child when he was arraigned some weeks back, said that he has “messed-up” his life and future, but acknowledged “more importantly” the young girl’s life.
Fontanelle said he was sorry for what he had done to his victim and sought forgiveness from her, her family and the community.
The well-spoken young man then commended himself to Justice Kissoon for consideration of mercy and leniency, stating that he still wanted to live his dreams.
According to the Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River youngster, he also wants an opportunity of being an example to his peers, not to walk the path he has, but to be law abiding citizens instead.
Justice Kissoon in response told the young man that emotions would have no part in his duty to impose sentence, even as he explained to him that the Court needed to examine all the circumstances of the case—both aggravating and mitigating, in arriving at a sentence.
While expressing the belief that Fontanelle is a candidate for rehabilitation, and as a result “would not want to take your life away,” but “see you achieve your dreams of becoming a pilot,” the Judge said that he had before him one of the worst offences in law.
Notwithstanding his pleas for clemency, Justice Kissoon told an attentive Fontanelle that he had on the other hand, a young victim he brutalized and has left mentally and physically scarred for the rest of her life.
The Judge then went on to lament what he said were the devastating consequences and impacts brought upon child victims of rape who are often left in a state of “darkness, uncertainty, hopelessness and despair.”
He decried the effects on the health of victims and even the welfare of the entire family unit, even as he underscored what he said was the unabated and unchecked rise in the incidence of sex crimes, especially against children.
Having regard to all the circumstances of the case, Justice Kissoon commenced sentencing at a base of 15 years, from which he deducted one-third as allowed by law for the offender’s admission of guilt.
From the remaining 10 years, the Judge then added two years on account of the aggravating factors; but then made a further one-year deduction for the mitigating circumstances.
The charge against Fontanelle is that he sexually penetrated the 12-year-old on November 7th, 2021.
He was represented by defence attorney Teriq Mohammed, while the State’s case was presented by Prosecutor Caressa Henry.
The matter was called at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
