Trinidad court sentences cancer patient to five years in prison
Key Points(5)
- <strong>PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC </strong>-A High Court judge in Trinidad and Tobago has sentenced a 79-year-old man, who is suffering from stage four esophageal cancer, to five years in prison after he was convicted of the sexual penetration of a 14-year-old girl in August last year.
- Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds, in sentencing Lloyd John Williams, said “the just desert is for him to serve the entirety of the term I have calculated unless death visits upon him soon”.
- Williams has also been ordered to register as a sex offender.
- Justice Ramsumair-Hinds began with a sentence of 17 years and after several discounts for his guilty plea and other mitigating factors, the convicted man was left with a total of seven years and two months to serve.
- But the judge brought it in line with a maximum sentence indication (MSI), sentencing him to five years.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC -A High Court judge in Trinidad and Tobago has sentenced a 79-year-old man, who is suffering from stage four esophageal cancer, to five years in prison after he was convicted of the sexual penetration of a 14-year-old girl in August last year.
Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds, in sentencing Lloyd John Williams, said “the just desert is for him to serve the entirety of the term I have calculated unless death visits upon him soon”.
Williams has also been ordered to register as a sex offender.
Justice Ramsumair-Hinds began with a sentence of 17 years and after several discounts for his guilty plea and other mitigating factors, the convicted man was left with a total of seven years and two months to serve.
But the judge brought it in line with a maximum sentence indication (MSI), sentencing him to five years.
The judge emphasized that a non-custodial sentence would be inadequate for Williams’ “predatory conduct,” and releasing him on probation would not be appropriate. She noted, “He has received substantial benefit from the court because of his circumstances,” highlighting the clarity of the court's responsibilities in sentencing.
The court learned that after his arrest in August 2023, Williams confessed to the police, and the indictment was filed on April 18. Justice Ramsumair-Hinds criticized him for attempting to imply that his victim had manipulated the situation, stating, “The disturbing reality is he was diseased with cancer and old at the time he committed the offense.” She added, “Neither the disease nor his age discouraged this crime,” noting that he is no longer receiving treatment as “there is nothing they can do for him at this stage.”
Williams is required to report to the police station seven days after his release from prison to register on the National Sex Offender Register. Additionally, he must report every six months for five years. The judge ordered the Commissioner of Police to publish Williams' name and information on the Public Sex Offender Registry within 14 days of her order. Concluding her remarks, she stated, “May God have mercy on you.”
