A 79-year-old Cedros man with stage four oesophagal cancer will serve five years in prison for the sexual penetration of a 14-year-old girl in August 2023.

Lloyd John Williams, also called Blair, was sentenced by Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds on October 1.

He has also been ordered to register as a sex offender.

Although she began with a sentence of 17 years, after several discounts for his guilty plea and other mitigating factors, which would have left him with seven years and two months to serve, the judge brought it in line with a maximum sentence indication (MSI) she gave in July of five years.

“The just desert is for him to serve the entirety of the term I have calculated unless death visits upon him soon.”

She also said a non-custodial sentence would not suffice for his “predatorial conduct,” nor would it be expedient to release him on probation.

“He has received substantial benefit from the court because of his circumstances…”

The judge left it open to other justice sector stakeholders to consider his early release but said that was not for her as a sentencing judge. She said no court, despite a degree of empathy for the prisoner, would allow for deflecting of a sentence.

“The court’s duties in sentencing are clear.”

After he was arrested in August 2023, Williams confessed to police. An indictment was filed on April 18, and a sufficiency hearing under the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings” Act was held in June, with the first hearing before Ramsumair-Hinds on July 2.

“The offence took place last year and AJIPA brought it before us,” the judge acknowledged.

An MSI hearing was held on July 24, when the judge gave five years, which she said on October 1 might have been “set too low.”

She also rebuked him for attempting to suggest his victim manipulated the situation, which led to the offence.

The judge added, “The disturbing reality is he was diseased with cancer and old at the time he committed the offence.”

Williams, who receives treatment in St James, stayed at a relative’s home in Cocorite when he “ended up at the home” of a neighbour.

“Neither the disease nor his age discouraged this crime.” Williams still attends clinics but is no longer receiving treatment as “there is nothing they can do for him at this stage,” and would soon reach the palliative stage, the judge said.

As part of her order, Ramsumair-Hinds directed mandatory registration as a sex offender. Williams has to report to the Cedros Police Station seven days after he is discharged from prison for registration on the National Sex Offender Register. He also has to report once every six months for five years. The judge further ordered the Commissioner of Police to publish Williams’ name and information on the Public Sex Offender Registry within 14 days of her order.

“May God have mercy on you,” were the judge’s final words to Williams.

Charmaine Samuel represented the State, while Avion Bruno-Mason of the Public Defenders Department represented Williams.

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