Despite his apologies, Mark Rolland sentenced to 15 years. (Video)
Syracuse, NY - A Georgia man who terrorized an elderly Manlius couple during an Easter Sunday break-in at their home apologized in court today and said he hopes the victims can forgive him.
Calling his conduct “very childish,” Mark Rolland contended he was never intending to hurt anyone.
But County Judge Joseph Fahey called the crime “one of the most cowardly, predatory incidents” he’d ever encountered in his legal career.
Fahey sentenced Rolland to 15 years in state prison, noting the defendant deserved every day of that punishment, if not more.
Rolland, 43, of Macon, pleaded guilty June 4 to first-degree burglary in the April 4 incident at the Wildwood Ridge Apartments on Highbridge Street.
According to Assistant District Attorney Kari Armstrong, Rolland first had a friendly encounter with the couple at a car wash in DeWitt before he followed them to the nearby Kmart store on Erie Boulevard East and then to their home.
When the 82-year-old wife answered a knock on the apartment door, Rolland talked his way inside, the prosecutor said. He then put the woman in the bathroom and was going through the apartment when he was confronted by the 90-year-old husband.
Rolland armed himself with a broom handle, but the husband was able to wrestle it away and used it to knock the intruder to the floor, Armstrong said. Rolland fled when the woman came out of the bathroom and began screaming, officials said.
In court today, Armstrong said the prosecution agreed to the 15-year plea deal with Rolland to spare the elderly victims from the trauma of having to relive the “incredible ordeal” by testifying about it in court at trial.
Defense lawyer Theodore Stenuf told the judge Rolland had been extremely remorseful and had immediately accepted responsibility for his conduct. The defense lawyer blamed the incident on the fact Rolland has a severe substance abuse problem and mental health issues for which he was not on necessary medication.
He also claimed the fact the 90-year-old husband was able to disarm Rolland showed that Rolland had no intent to harm anyone during the break-in.
Rolland made that claim himself, adding he and the husband fell to the floor while wrestling over the broom handle. He denied being struck by the victim with the broom handle and claimed he willingly gave back the elderly man’s wallet before he apologized and fled the scene.
Outside court, Armstrong said she believed Rolland was minimizing what happened and that the wallet may have only been left behind when Rolland dropped it while being struck with the broom handle by the victim.
Rolland told Fahey he hoped the victims would have mercy so they could forgive him, forget the incident and not carry him around in their hearts. He also told the judge he wasn’t looking for pity, just prayers.
Fahey noted that he would have had no hesitation sentencing Rolland to the maximum penalty of 25 years in state prison had the case gone to trial and ended with a conviction.
Rolland agreed with the judge that he deserved his state prison penalty.
