Driver, Mark Samuels, who was found guilty last month of raping a 13-year-old girl, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of being paroled, after serving no less than 30 years.
The sentence was handed down today by High Court Judge, Navindra Singh, who pointed out that Samuels’ cries for clemency were deceptive; since the convict continued to hold out that he was innocent.
His apparent show of remorse, Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken said, was only “tactical,” in a bid to secure a light sentence.
Justice Singh agreed, stating that Samuels’ address to the court of wanting an opportunity to be a part of the lives of his children who cry for him every night, was merely “self-serving.”
Samuels in his address to the court said that he was sincerely sorry for his actions, but had told a probation officer that he was innocent of the charge.
This prompted the judge to enquire from the offender, how it was that he was apologising for something he is at the same time claiming he is not responsible for.
His attorney Clevaun Humphrey, sought to impress upon the judge that his client is a “selfless individual” who was raised without a father figure; and did not want for his two children to be raised in his absence also.
The lawyer asked the judge to temper justice with mercy.
Finding, however, no factors to mitigate sentence, and describing the attack on the victim as “barefaced and bold,” Justice Singh imposed the life sentence on the convict; whom he said was ready and willing to say anything to secure his freedom.
The judge then told him that he had ruined the child’s life forever.
He was told that he must serve no less than 30 years before being considered for parole.
In an impact statement read on behalf of the victim/survivor, the child detailed the assault having changed her life forever.
She said that it was a particularly sad and difficult time in her life as her family had been grappling with the loss of a loved one; all while she had to be dealing with the gruesome act meted out to her.
She said she was left in a dazed-like state after losing her “innocence, confidence, independence, voice and natural gentleness.”
“You are dirt to me,” she told him, as the court heard from her statement.
Background
Last month, a jury returned a majority verdict in the proportion of 10 to 2; finding Samuels guilty as charged of sexually penetrating the teen.
Particulars of the offence stated that on January 27th, 2021, he sexually penetrated the young girl.
The trial proceedings were held in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
Samuels, a former driver of the Ministry of Health, had been charged back in August of 2021, with breaking into the health ministry’s vaccination centre and stealing COVID-19 vaccination cards.
He was, however, freed after the prosecution failed to present its case against him, even after repeated adjournments.
The presiding Magistrate dismissed the case for want of prosecution.
