Ex-cop sentenced to 22 years for rape, robbery

JAILED: David Ram Parker in court yesterday

By

George Barclay

Ex-policeman David Ram Parker, called Winston Parker, who raped a young woman at knifepoint and robbed her of $3,400, will have to serve 15 years in jail.

After perusing a probation report and hearing a plea in mitigation from defence counsel Mr Peter Hugh, trial judge, Mrs Yonette Cummings-Edwards imposed a sentence of 15 years for the offence of rape and seven years for the robbery offence.

But because she ordered that the sentences run concurrently, the prisoner, who had asked for no sympathy, will have to serve only 15 years. The probation officer said the mini-bus driver was a product of a decent family, and he had his early education in Buxton. He had an earlier encounter with the law in relation to a similar offence, but that case fell down because of a legal technicality, the court heard

Apart from a stint in the Police Force, he was also a member of the Guyana Fire Service. He then turned to driving a mini-bus on the East Bank, and East Coast, Demerara route.

The prosecution’s case, as led by Mr Satyesh Kissoon, was that the girl from Mahaica was a passenger in the bus driven by the accused bus on the night of November 6, 2003, when, instead of taking her to her destination, he drove her along the Hope Coconut Estate road, where he raped and robbed her of money. Kissoon had asked the court to hand down the harshest sentence possible, while defence counsel blamed the probation officer for not presenting a satisfactory report. Hugh had also asked the court to be lenient with the accused.

When asked by the judge whether he had anything to say, Parker maintained that he was innocent of the crime and said the whole affair had brought shame and disgrace to his family and his church – the Church of God. His final remarks to the Judge were, “I am not asking for any mercy. We will appeal this sentence.” Imposing the sentence, the judge told the prisoner, ‘Go and seek to rehabilitate yourself.” 

Wednesday, March 8. 2006