Man seeking to overturn life sentences for raping boys

Currently serving life sentences for raping two boys on separate occasions, Mark Campbell has now moved to the Guyana Court of Appeal in a bid to have the jury’s verdicts and his prison sentences overturned. In October 2017, a 12-member mixed jury found him guilty of raping a six-year-old boy on two occasions during September 2011.

Campbell was also found guilty of raping the lad again on July 10, 2013, when he was eight years old. In the end, trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall sentenced him to life imprisonment on each of the two charges, ordering that he only becomes eligible for parole after 30 years. The sentences run concurrently.

Then in, August 2018, Campbell appeared before High Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and pleaded guilty to raping another boy; he was five years old. The incident took place on April 16, 2013. Like Justice Morris-Ramlall, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry also sentenced him to life imprisonment, ordering further that he is not to be considered eligible for parole until after serving 30 years behind bars.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings—Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud will be presiding over Campbell’s appeal. The child rapist is asking the appeal court to reverse and/or set aside his convictions and quash his sentences.

During his sentencing hearing before Justice Morris-Ramlall, Campbell claimed that he was not afforded a fair trial since he was not represented by a lawyer.