By Michel Outridge

TVG CAMERAMAN Andre Hetsberger was yesterday afternoon sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh after a 12-member jury unanimously found him guilty of rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2014.After hours of deliberation, the members of the jury returned to a packed courtroom and when the verdict was announced, Hetsberger began crying and then he started to scream on hearing that he was sentenced to 25 years in jail.
A weeping 39-year-old Hetsberger then kneeled in the prisoner’s box with outstretched hands and said, “Why me Lord, not me Lord,” as he cried loudly yesterday.

His outburst caused his wife and relatives, who were present in the courtroom before Justice Singh, to hurl loud verbal abuse at a female relative of the victim.

At that time, some women threw themselves down in the courtroom, causing Justice Singh to call for order as he enquired, “Who wants to join Hetsberger?”

After the verdict was announced Hetsberger told Justice Singh he did not do anything, as he cried openly and uncontrollably.

Justice Singh told the court that Hetsberger was sentenced to 25 years in prison and asked that he be taken out of the courtroom.

After some difficulty he was escorted in handcuffs and shackles to the Police Outpost at the High Court even as family members and relatives behaved disorderly saying, “We will pray and fast for all of you, members of the jury too, y’all time gon come.”

The court police called for backup and about a dozen cops showed up accompanied by prison officers, who escorted a still weeping Hetsberger to the prison’s minibus to be transported to the penitentiary.

As he was being led away from the police outpost in the High Court, a senior prison officer assisted him and told him to relax as the group walked closely behind.

State prosecutors were Siand Dhurjon and Michael Shahoud while the defence counsel were Lawrence Harris and Hewley Griffith.

Hetsberger was on trial for sexual activity with a girl who was 13-years-old on October 17, 2014. The matter was held in-camera.