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State eyes death penalty for accused held for rape, murder of 9-y-o

Published:Wednesday | March 29, 2023 | 1:34 AMAdrian Frater/Acting News Editor
Nikita Noel.
Nikita Noel.

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE STATE will be seeking the death penalty in its case against Omar Green, the Hanover man charged for the alleged rape and murder of nine-year-old Nikita Noel in Esher, Hanover, on February 1.

On Tuesday, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) revealed that it would be proceeding with a voluntary bill of indictment to seek the death penalty against Green, pursuant to Section 3 (1) of the Offences against the Person Act.

According to reports from the Hanover police, on February 1, Nikita was reported missing by her mother after she did not return home from the Esher Primary School. A search was launched, and her body was found in proximity to her home in Kew district, a section of Esher.

A post-mortem revealed that the child was raped and then strangled.

Further investigations led to the arrest and charge of Green, who was reportedly involved in a contentious relationship with the child’s mother.

PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION

When Green appeared in the Hanover Circuit Court on Tuesday, presiding High Court Judge Courtney Daye ordered that the accused undergo forensic psychiatric evaluation.

He has been remanded until his next court appearance on July 3.

“Having carefully considered the allegations as disclosed within the evidentiary material gathered so far, the law, and the public interest, entered a nolle prosequi in the Hanover Parish Court earlier today, thereby discontinuing the matter in the said parish court and shortly thereafter, preferring a voluntary bill of incitement against Mr Green in the Hanover Circuit Court,” the ODPP noted in a release.

“In addition to taking this step, Crown Counsel, on my instructions, also filed a death penalty notice in the Hanover Circuit Court and a copy of this notice was served on the accused man, when he made his appearance today in court,” it continued.

The release added that the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Offences Against the Person Act state that “every person who falls within Section 3 (1A) shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life or to death. As it concerns Section 3 (1A) the provisions include persons who are convicted for murder in the course or furtherance of rape”.

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