CONVICTED serial rapist Venslow Orlando Small has fired another lawyer – his fifth.But he doesn’t want to conduct his appeal himself.What he wants, he said, is an attorney who will argue his appeal his way.However, the rapist has been given a deadline – September 14.By then, he will come with an attorney paid for out of his pocket or the pockets of his family, or he will do his appeal himself. Small was in the Court of Appeal yesterday where he outlined his position to President of the Court and Acting Chief Justice Sherman Moore, Justice of Appeal Peter Williams and Justice of Appeal Sandra Mason.The 40-year-old, formerly of Wellington Street, The City, is contesting his 30-year sentence, imposed by Justice William Chandler in 2005, for the rape of an English visitor in 2004.He had pleaded guilty to that charge; the aggravated burglary of her hotel room, as well as five other counts of rape and three more counts of aggravated burglary.He was sentenced to 15 years for each count of burglary and 25 years for each count of rape.Those concurrent sentences run alongside 20 years he was given for the aggravated burglary of the Barbados Windsurf Beach resort and the rape of two Norwegian visitors.Yesterday, Small’s fired attorney Marlon Gordan said the rapist had asked him to withdraw and he sought the court’s leave to do so, but the request was opposed by the island’s top prosecutor Director of Public Prosecutions Charles Leacock, QC.Saying it was “purely an attempt to pervert the process of the court”, the DPP pointed to the age of the matter, its history before the Court of Appeal and the fact that Small had pleaded guilty to all the offences.“He has also dispensed with the services of his other lawyers – Angella Mitchell-Gittens at the trial and on appeal, Andrew Pilgrim, Keith Simmons, QC, and Marvin Patterson and now this attorney who he has bluntly, coarsely and crudely told he doesn’t want,” the DPP said.“And because it is very clear to the prosecution that [Small] seems bent on manipulating the process of the court, the Crown is objecting to leave being granted,” Leacock argued.Small then told the court he had dismissed his lawyers “for reasons”.“I want a lawyer that gine argue my case the way I want him to argue my case,” he said.“You have dismissed your fifth counsel,” Acting Chief Justice Moore told Small.“We can allow you to dismiss no more, and we cannot allow this appeal to go pending,” the Acting Chief Justice said.“I just want a lawyer to do the things I want done,” Small said. “I was told if legal aid refuse me, the court would grant me a lawyer of my choice out of the public funds.”In the end, Acting Chief Justice Moore noted that while it was “clearly evident that [Small] intends to abuse the process of the court”, the court would still allow him the time to find his own attorney or present his case himself.The President of the Court adjourned the matter until September 14.
