“These were serious offences that irreparably harmed two women,” Subramanian said. “The court is not assured that if released these crimes will not be committed again.”
But Subramanian told Combs he was counting on him to “make the most of your second chance”.
“You have a universe of people who love you,” he said. “Let them lift you up now.”
Tearfully addressing the court before the judge handed down the sentence, Combs said he was “truly sorry” for his actions and asked the judge for “another chance”.
“I ask your honour for mercy,” he said. “I beg your honour for mercy.”
He apologised to his victims, saying his behaviour was “disgusting, shameful and sick”.
“I was sick. Sick from the drugs, I was out of control. I needed help but I didn’t get the help,” Combs said.
‘Abuse and control’
Combs’ former girlfriend Casandra Ventura submitted a letter to the judge asking him to consider “the many lives that Sean Combs has upended with his abuse and control”.
Ventura, the 39-year-old singer known as Cassie, described in wrenching detail the physical, emotional and sexual abuse she suffered while in a more than decade-long relationship with Combs.
Ventura and another woman, identified as Jane, said they were coerced into performing so-called “freak offs”: sexual marathons with hired men that Combs directed and sometimes filmed.
“The entire courtroom watched actual footage of Combs kicking and beating me as I tried to run away from a freak off in 2016,” Ventura wrote.
She said she has nightmares and flashbacks “on a regular, everyday basis”.
Ventura said she and her family had left the New York area for fear of “retribution” from Combs if he is released.
Prosecutor Christy Slavik, arguing for the 11-year sentence, said Combs had not accepted responsibility for his actions.
“His remorse was qualified. It’s as though he thinks the law doesn’t apply to him,” Slavik said.
Slavik said Combs had booked speaking engagements in Miami next week in anticipation of a light sentence, which she called “the height of hubris”.
Arguing for a lesser sentence, Nicole Westmoreland, one of Combs’ lawyers, called him an “inspiration” to the Black community and a social justice crusader.
“No, Combs is not larger than life,” she said. “He’s just a human being. He’s made mistakes.”
But he is remorseful and “it’s of no benefit to anyone to warehouse him in a prison”.
Combs’ six adult children each delivered an emotional plea on their father’s behalf, with the eldest Quincy Brown calling him “a changed man”.
“Please, please give our family the chance to heal together,” said one of his daughters, D’Lila Combs. “Not as headlines but as human beings.”
- Agence France-Presse
