Sex Offender gets 5 years shaved off his sentence

6

The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of a man who was convicted of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 2011.

The incident was recorded on cellphone video and later circulated via social media.

Darnell Azille, who was 18-years-old at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty by a jury in 2015.

The sentenced was reduced by 5 years to 10 years after it was agreed that a range of 10 to 12 years was a reasonable given a starting sentence of 8 years.

However, Azille’s lawyer failed to have the conviction quashed after arguing his client did not get a fair trial since he had no legal representation at the start of the trial.

The Court of Appeal heard, the appellant was given sufficient opportunities to properly retain a lawyer before the trial.

The appellant’s lawyer also argued that the trial judge failed to give the jury a special warning in relation to the young age of the complainant.

It was however noted that at the time of the trial the complainant was then 17-years-old and such a direction who be left to the discretion of the judge.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

6 COMMENTS

  1. That was too steep of a penalty. He was 18 and she was 13. Thats a 5 year difference. They sentence this 18 year old to a 15 year sentence foe having sex with a 13 year old. Wair for it….the minimum recommended sentence was 8 years, and they almost double that!!! I would really like to see the details of what made them think this 18 uear old was soo dangerous.

    • He got a longer Sentence than “red rat” the prisoner who was recently released then picked up again who MURDERED a man in his own home. However, the girl was 13 still a baby (i’m not interested in hearing these young girls are big for their age or they hotter than big women) the men should know to leave them along. I truly hope when he comes out he gets a second chance to live his life.

    • U should see the video but hey mean while there was a dude who recently got only 7 years for having sex with (2) not (1) but (2) minors during carnival season.

  2. He was 17 and she was 13 and this man was sentence this long? He was even sentenced? I understand if it was force-able rape but it wasn’t. I am not saying i agree with what he did but base on all the circumstances, I could not prosecute and if I do, it would not be for anything like 8 or 15 years, it will be way less, like 2 years or probation.

    I would appeal to Privy Council for this one, I am near sure base on just the facts using a developed country’s method of thinking, and modern views, I am sure the sentence would reduce even more. If I am arrested for anything in Antigua, please just kill me because justice I do not think visit there.

    Say whatever you want but look at things like this, he was 17, while she was 13. He may have even been 16 at the time the alleged incident occurred.

    and the other thing, an attorney must be given in any country (that has sense, that has a constitution that protect rights, liberties and is progressive) to indigent defendants in matters that can result in jail or prison time. Why on earth is this case not dismissed or remanded for a new trial?

    Antigua needs to acknowledge speedy trial rights, indigence, and other fundamental human and due process rights. Also no police officer who has never step foot in law-school should be able to charge anyone for any crime that is punishable of prison time beyond 1 year, without consulting an attorney or someone trained in a law-school setting.

    Our Ministers sit there and see these things are happening and guess what they are doing?

    • If I am not mistaken, he was given a longer sentence because there was evidence of him performing sexual acts on multiple persons in the same phone. He liked to record his exploits. It could have been deemed to be malicious as who knows what he intended to do with the recordings afterwards?

Comments are closed.