A native of the Dominican Republic was sentenced to three years imprisonment yesterday afternoon for the role he played in an assault meted out to hotelier Rahit Ally, on August 1, 2008, at Corriverton, Corentyne.
Jose Lopez was indicted for felonious wounding, to which he pleaded guilty last week. The decision was handed down by Justice Winston Patterson at the Berbice Assizes after listening to the evidence of Prison Medic Patricia Anderson, along with mitigation by Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud.
Lopez was previously indicted with two counts of attempted murder and felonious wounding, but the state only pursued the latter charge.
State Counsel Fabayo Azore said Ally, the proprietor of Malimar Hotel, Corriverton, was summoned to Lopez’s room at the hotel. Ally proceeded into the room and the accused pushing him in his back and began to inflict several cuffs about his body. In an attempt to resist the attacks, Ally was kicked below his rib cage. Lopez then knelt on his victim’s chest and taped his hands mouth and neck. As the attacks on Ally continued, a police officer acting on information went to the room and when he opened the door, the accused exited.
Ally was in a semi conscious and disoriented state when he was taken to the Skeldon Hospital. It was revealed that the injuries were severe and a threat to his life. They were also expected to leave him disfigured.
Persaud, in his plea of mitigation, said his client, who hails from Santo Domingo, was pleading for leniency. Highlighting points in the case earlier presented by Azore, the lawyer said the victim had identified another person with a gun, who was later killed by the police. That individual, he said, used a gun to inflict injuries which resulted in Ally’s face being damaged.
The virtual complainant reported that Lopez used his fists to rain blows to his body and also kicked him. “My client was influenced by an individual who is no longer on the face of the earth. He regrets the role he played and pleads for a minimal custodial sentence along with a deportation order for him to be sent to his country,” declared Persaud.
Justice Patterson agreed that Lopez was not the mastermind behind the incident but expressed disappointment of not being able to see the victim in order to better assess the physical disfigurement.
