1 003 days for molesting boy

by Emmanuel Joseph

The High Court today slapped a sentence of 1,003 days on a man who pleaded guilty to committing serious indecency on a 13-year-old boy back in February 2016.

The sentence was handed down by No. 2 Supreme Court Justice Randall Worrell on Daniel Dario Reece who is currently behind bars on two separate indictments for a total of 44 months.

According to the facts, the school boy was at Reece’s Dash Gap, Bank Hall, St Michael home, to get the assistance of the then 23-year-old, with fixing a bicycle.

However, they did not have all the parts required. As a result, Reece loaned the complainant a bicycle and they left the house riding towards the National Stadium, Waterford, St Michael.

The court heard that Reece told the minor he had to collect a horse from the area.

They rode across the National Conservation Commission (NCC) pasture and Botanical Gardens, and then walked through a row of trees.

Outside was dark by this time, the facts revealed.

The court heard that the convict held onto the teen’s wrist and told him he wanted him to [masturbate] and that he wanted to perform oral sex on him.

The court was told that the school boy resisted him, but was threatened with a knife.

Both acts were performed, the facts revealed and after the incident, Reece threatened to kill the boy if he told anyone.

Before passing sentence, Justice Worrell took into consideration the report of the psychologist which observed that Reece is intellectually deficient, lacked the maturity expected of a person his age, was raised in a single parent home and was molested at a young age.

The judge also considered his serious drug problem, the fact that he had “certain tendencies” and that he did not have a clean record.

Justice Worrell said when he looked at the case in a holistic manner, and considered Reece’s remorse, his cooperation with the police, his guilty plea, the fact that he didn’t use the knife and his intellectual and emotional deficiency, the mitigating features outweighed the aggravating ones.

He said because of the seriousness of the offence, the starting point for sentencing was seven years with a reduction of one year considering the mitigating factors. The judge said the sentence would be further cut to four years, if the two-year prison term were applied.

The judge credited Reece with the 457 days already spent on remand and left him with 1,003 days left to spend in jail.

Justice Worrell also honoured a request from Reece for help with his educational, psychological, emotional and vocational difficulties.

The judge ordered that while in prison, Reece must be given psychiatric and psychological treatment, be involved in  educational and vocational programmes that include carpentry and auto body repairs, Mathematics, English, History and Religious Knowledge and drug rehabilitation.

A report must be presented to the court a year from today’s date outlining the inmate’s progress in all areas. (EJ)