Wesley Bazil called ‘Tappy,’ who was convicted last month for raping a 15-year-old girl who had gone to his shop to make a purchase, has been handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The sentence was imposed by High Court Judge, Navindra Singh, who told Bazil that he was a ‘calculating recidivist predator,’ whose actions warranted the life sentence, with no chance of release.
The court had heard that it was not the first time that Bazil had been before a court of law for offences of sexual nature; as he had also been convicted of a similar offence in the United States of America.
After serving jail time, he was deported back to Guyana in 2017.
Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken in calling for what she said must be a robust approach to sentencing, noted the growing prevalence of sexual offences which continues to plague Guyana.
Against this background and specifically underscoring Bazil’s previous conviction, Lyken said that what is clear is that after his return to Guyana, the convict, continued in his errant ways.
On that point she said that he continued to be a danger to society.
In the impact statement presented on behalf of the victim/survivor, the young woman spoke of having had to battle depression, and thoughts that she was no longer valued, which led to self-harm and her running away from home.
She detailed, too, having also dropped out of school as a result of what had been done to her, as she had seen her future as having been ruined.
Lyken in her call for the imposition of a sentence that would reflect the gravity of the crime, and act as a deterrent, had specifically asked the judge to consider the effect the assault has had, and continues to have on the survivor.
Meanwhile, in his address to the court, a seemingly apologetic Bazil said that he wanted both the young woman’s family as well as his family to know that he was sorry for the sorrow and pain he had caused them.
Last month, a jury unanimously found Bazil guilty of engaging in sexual activity with the 15-year-old on the first count, and raping her on the second.
He collapsed moments after the verdict was announced; after cutting his neck with a razor blade he had concealed on him.
H subsequently passed out, warranting emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who had to be called in.
The trial proceedings were heard in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
Background
The prosecution’s case was that in December of 2020, the teen had gone to Bazil’s shop to make a purchase, when he fondled her.
A month later, prosecutors say that the complainant again went to the shop and on that occasion, Bazil dragged her under the counter door and took her to an area of his back yard where he raped her.
The court heard that some two months following the assaults, the young girl’s father saw her on her cell phone while in bed, took it away, and gave her to her mother to have a check.
It was then that her mother discovered that she had been messaging a friend about what the shop-owner had done to her.
Based on that, the matter was reported and Bazil was charged.
The convict’s story presented through his attorney Euclin Gomes, was that he was innocent and that the assaults never occurred.
