Micah Williams, serving two life sentences for rape, had his appeal dismissed yesterday by the Guyana Court of Appeal.
His conviction and sentence were upheld. Williams was convicted in 2018 of raping and sodomizing a 7-year-old girl in 2016 and 2017.
Williams’ appeal focused on his excessive sentence and two conspiracies against him. In his appeal, he said a 14-year-old, not him, interfered with the virtual complainant. He claimed two people were influencing the child to implicate him.
Yonette Cummings-Edwards, acting chancellor of the judiciary, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud said yesterday that the trial judge’s decision had “merit.” Based on their findings, Chancellor Cummings-Edwards said the prosecution noted in their report that the sentencing was not manifestly excessive, which the Court of Appeal agreed with, since it is accordance with the facts of the offence and the overall case. She added that the trial judge followed High Court sentencing principles.
Williams was convicted of raping the child between January 1 and December 31, 2016 and sentenced to life in prison in April 2018. He was found guilty of sodomizing the girl on January 2, 2017. Justice Barlow ordered that the convict serve at least 20 years before parole.
Williams told Justice Barlow in 2018 that he found the jury’s verdict “strange,” so he challenged it. Nigel Hughes, Kiswant to Jefford, and Ronald J. Daniels represented Williams. Cicelia Corbin, Caressa Henry, and Marisa Edwards represented the state.
