George Robin, 67, of Number 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), was found guilty of the indictment, which stated that on February 6, 2017, he engaged in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16.
On June 25, 2019, the father of 12 was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment by Justice Brassington Reynolds in the Sexual Offences Court of Demerara High Court, after he was found guilty by a 12-member jury.
In his document filed with the Court of Appeal, Robin argued that he was given an unfair trial. As a result, he claimed that Justice Reynolds imposed a severe sentence on him.
A probation report presented to the court before his sentencing revealed that the convicted man was known in his community for being a leader and contributing to the area. It was further disclosed that Robin is a former rank in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Police Force (GPF).
However, the report investigations had found that Robin was also well known in the community for his perverted behaviour towards young girls in the area. It added that when teenage girls would visit the grocery shop owned by the convict, he would usually make sexual remarks that would make them uncomfortable.
Similar incidents also occurred in school environments, where Robin worked as a vendor.
Meanwhile, the victim’s impact statement revealed that the affected teen has suffered from depression and emotional trauma.
“I feel depressed and angry. I would like for him to go to jail. He deserves to be punished. I would like to forget about it, but I don’t know if I ever can” the impact statement noted.
Defence Attorney Maxwell McKay in his plea of mitigation asked the court to consider the contributions Robin has made to the community, along with his age and medical status, since he suffers from hypertension and diabetes.
As such, in handing down his sentence, Justice Brassington Reynolds stated that considering these factors, Robin will spend the next 19 years in prison where he will benefit from medical services and religious teachings and will also grant him time to reflect on what he did.
