He told the court on November 12 that he is a happily married man, just before a jury of six women and three men deliberated for two hours and fifteen minutes, before they found him guilty on one count of carnal knowledge. Now Leroy Stevens’ “happy marriage” will have to be put on hold until he is finished serving his prison time.
Stevens, a former assistant supervisor with Belize Water Services Limited appeared before Justice Adolph Lucas this morning for sentencing.
The complainant, a 15-year-old primary school student at the time, told police that she went to Stevens’ house in Hattieville and that he asked her to have sex with him. When he was finished, he gave her one dollar and fifty cents.
Stevens appeared undefended for his trial, which lasted only two days. When the judge asked him if he wanted to say something in his own defense, he decided to speak from the prisoner’s dock and not under oath, where he would have been subjected to cross examination.
The Crown’s case was presented by Crown Counsel, Nadine Palacio.
Justice Lucas asked Stevens if he had brought someone to make a mitigation plea on his behalf.
Stevens replied, yes, my daughter.
And with that, Laureel Stevens got into the witness box. At first she told the court that she was asking the court to have pity on her father. But she could barely speak, on account of the tears that were washing down her face.
Then she ventured to become critical of the minor that had brought her father to this position.
“You don’t know that young lady …”
But she was interrupted by Judge Lucas before she could continue. He told her that she was not here to re-try the case, and that the young girl was entitled to the protection of the law.
Laureel Stevens then continued with the mitigation plea on behalf of her father, telling the court that: “My father is a good man. He made mistakes just like everybody else. He has two children, and we don’t want him to be in jail for a long time. Even though he made mistakes, we want him in our lives.” She stopped speaking, and was only wiping the tears from her eyes.
Justice Lucas asked her if she had anything else to say. She replied in a quiet voice: “Only that.”
Lucas then told Stevens that he had a right to say something on his own behalf.
Stevens stood up and began to speak. “As far as I am concerned, Your Honor, it was decided by the jury’s own mind and I can’t say anything else, apart from it was a wrong judgment….I have a family of four and I hate to see my family go through this. This judgment will cost me dearly with my family. I trust that you will be much lenient with me. I respect the law and I will always respect for it. Thank you, sir.”
Judge Lucas then began his address before passing sentence. “Those who were not here at the hearing might want to blame the system, when a person is acquitted or convicted. I told the accused that he could speak from where he is, or he could swear on the Bible. He chose to remain silent. He did not choose to say anything, so we cannot blame the system.”
Lucas then began to read the penalty under which carnal knowledge offenders are sentenced. Directing his attention to Stevens, the prisoner in the dock, Lucas said, “I cannot fine you a money fine. The law dictates to me that you must go to jail…”
“There is nothing against you. You have no previous conviction….But what is against you is that you committed this crime against a girl who is under 16 years of age, and at the time was attending primary school. Additionally, you are married and have two daughters. So you ought to have known the vulnerability of girls to sexual activity.”
The judge then reminded him of the 1960s song, “Go away, little girl”
“I won’t give you the maximum sentence, which is ten years, but I won’t give you the minimum, five years. There is nothing adverse against you. I sentence you to six years.”
He was told by the judge that if he behaved himself in prison, he would become eligible for parole and serve less than six years.