A man found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2021 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Mark Samuels, 32, a father of two, of Sophia Greater Georgetown was sentenced to life on Thursday by Justice Navindra Singh at the Sexual Offences Court in Demerara. He becomes eligible for parole after 30 years.
The charge against him read that on January 27, 2021, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16.
He had been on trial for the offence before Justice Singh and a mixed 12-member jury and was convicted last month after the jury returned a 10-2 guilty verdict.
The prosecution said Samuels touched the girl inappropriately and raped her even though she tried to fight him off. After the ordeal, the girl confided in her mother, who in turn filed a report with the Police. Samuels was subsequently arrested and charged with the crime.
Senior State Counsel Tiffini Lyken and State Counsel Nafeeza Baig prosecuted this matter while Samuels was represented by Attorney-at-Law Clevaun Humphrey.
Back in 2021, Samuels was charged with stealing 66 COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Health Ministry, Brickdam, Georgetown, between August 22 and August 23, 2021.
However, the charge was dismissed against him the following year for want of prosecution.
The prosecution had contended that during the period mentioned, a female nurse discovered that the lock on the cupboard in which the vaccination cards were stored was broken.
Upon checking, the healthcare worker noticed that the items were missing and alerted her supervisor, who lodged a report at the Brickdam Police Station.
Samuels was previously convicted of forgery.
