New courthouse for Grand Cayman?

HE Governor Helen Kilpatrick has said Grand Cayman’s current courthouse is outdated, inadequate and its lack of space is hampering justice.

”I do think there actually needs to a realistic plan to deliver that,” she told CITN/Cayman27. “This is not going to be in place instantly, but it has to be worked towards that. And in the meantime, the court service will need to look at how, if possible, more efficient use can me made of the existent buildings. But it is a challenge because the court building is very much out of date and well beyond its useful life.”

She is putting pressure on government to ensure a new courthouse will be in the works over the next four years. Even though she appreciates there are restrictions in place for government’s borrowing.

 

Gun found in freezer re-trial returns “not guilty” verdict

Joshua Alexander Brown (24) was found not guilty by jury on a 5-2-majority decision last week of possessing an unlicensed firearm that police found in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator.

The refrigerator was in an apartment Brown leased from a woman with whom he had an intimate relationship.

Police had received a 911 call informing them of a vehicular accident Brown was alleged to be involved in and the gun. Upon searching the apartment on September 8^th 2011 police found a Springfield Colt .45-caliber and six rounds of .45-caliber ammunition wrapped in a shirt in the freezer compartment.

Brown was found guilty in his first judge alone trial in March 2012 but appealed the verdict claiming the Crown had deprived him of information he needed for his defense because he could not find out who had phoned 911, and also the judge treated the DNA evidence used to convict him in such a way that his rulings were unsafe and unsatisfactory.

Brown had pleaded not guilty and had claimed his DNA found on the gun had been planted by a jealous lover as he admitted to having intimate relationships with two different women.

The Appeal Court allowed his appeal and ordered this new trial.

Brown’s attorney had successfully argued all the evidence against Brown had been circumstantial as no one had seen Brown with the gun, his DNA could have been planted on the gun as he had testified, the DNA found inside the gun matched his only to a ratio of one in every 81 persons, and there was no DNA at all on the rounds of ammunition.

 

Crown witness says authorities have abandoned him and is looking for a lawyer

Fernando Martin (49) who was shot whilst being a protected witness is claiming the authorities have abandoned him.

Martin said he was first persuaded to give evidence in a case against two men for the fatal shooting of Joe Williams in 2003 and his testimony helped the Crown to put away a man who was considered a leading player in the criminal underworld.

However, there was no system in place to send witnesses overseas and he had to remain in Cayman in the lead up to the trial. He was placed at the then Cayman Islander Hotel but the protection he was offered failed.

Before he could give evidence Martin received multiple gunshot wounds when he opened his hotel room door to a gunman on the night of 17^th August.

He survived the shooting and still gave evidence but both men were acquitted.

He then agreed to give evidence against Sheldon Brown the man he said had tried to kill him.

Brown was one of the RCIPS’ most wanted suspects so Martin was kept on the witness protection programme. The programme was nothing more than government paying Martin’s rent and a subsistence allowance.

Brown was found guilty and sent to prison for 22 years in 2006. Thereafter, the police continued to pay for Martin to be housed locally in a safe house. Because of a change in policy in 2010, Martin was sent overseas to Cuba.

Martin is now asserting the Cuban authorities would not allow him to lawfully stay there or work because the Cayman authorities had not addressed his immigration status. He was, therefore, forced to leave and return and now the RCIPS has pulled the financing for his protection altogether.

He is now looking for a lawyer to help him file suit against the authorities here in order for him to try and lead a new life.

Although the RCIPS will not comment of specific cases they said witnesses who go into a protection programme must leave the island for ever and must not return. They also must cut ties with friends and family in Cayman that are not on the programme. Anyone who breaks any of these conditions is removed from the protection programme.

 

Budget approved by legislators

Government’s $549M budget spending plan for 2013/14 was passed unanimously in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (23) afternoon.

Finance Minister Marco Archer said government expects to end its budget year in June with a $100.3 million operating surplus by adding only one new tax and without major cuts to essential programmes and services.

Revenues in 2013/14 are estimated to be about 4 percent higher than in the previous year, while expenditures are expected to be about $8 million less.

 

Brac may get visit from tall ships

Deputy Premier Hon Moses Kirkconnell has said tall ships cruises may begin calling on Cayman Brac in 2014.

In his contribution to the Throne Speech, Kirkconnell said the planned route would start in Grand Cayman, on to southern Cuba, then to Cayman Brac and back to Grand Cayman.

“I am in full support of this initiative, which leverages opportunities in the cruise industry to promote experiences offered through a combined vacation including both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac,” the Deputy Premier told the Legislative Assembly.

 

House fire in GT

Last Thursday (24) a fire at a house off Whitman Seymour Road. George Town, just before 1:00 p.m., caused extensive damage.

There was no one in the house at the time of the fire but residents in nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

 

CIASA to host open water officiating clinic

The Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association (CIASA) will host a FINA (International Swimming Federation) Open Water Officiating Clinic, from 5-9 November, featuring international referee Dennis Ryther.

The course is titled, ‘The Role of Open Water Officials and the Planning and Practical Aspects of Setting Up Open Water Events’.

On 9^th November, participants in the clinic will be able to test their newly learned skills during the 31st Annual Pirates Week 5K.

For more information on this course and to request registration information, contact Olive Balderamos at [email protected] or call 345.326.1750.

 

Cayman Bishop receives award in Jamaica

Bishop Juliette Fagan ministers at the Vision Church of God, McField Lane, Eastern Avenue, George Town, and currently oversees two church branches in Jamaica and plans to extend to other parishes.

She was honoured  in the service of religion and motivation in Portmore, Jamaica.

Juliette Fagan received the award during Portmore’s Municipality Heroes Day ceremony on Tuesday (22) during Portmore’s Municipality Heroes Day ceremony.

Bishop Fagan, a pastor and surgical technologist with more than 20 years’ experience in the medical field has furthered her studies in alternative medicine.

She also intends to complete the establishment of a Bible school after hosting Bible studies for students in Cayman and in Jamaica.

 

Governor Kilpatrick disagrees with Commissioner and defends him

Police Commissioner David Baines received a two edged sword from Cayman’s new governor, Helen Kilpatrick, last week.

Baines had blamed the reduced budget handed out to him by the government for limiting his resources in trying to curb Cayman’s increasing crime wave, especially in the districts of George Town and West Bay. This has made it impossible for him to increase the police presence in the other districts leading to complaints from East End MLA Arden Mclean and especially North Side MLA Ezzard Miller.

However, Governor Kilpatrick said pouring money into the RCIPS is not a sustainable solution. The RCIPS expenditure allocation, she said, cannot be constantly increased.

“There is a need to review how efficient the police are and whether money could be spent more wisely to free-up existing resources for front line crime fighting,” she commented saying she agreed with Premier Alden McLaughlin.

The governor, though, defended the police commissioner, saying she is completely disregarding the online petition calling for his removal.

“I’ve looked at the petition and when I looked at it yesterday morning [Wednesday, 23],” she said, “there were 36 signatures and half were anonymous and there were some joke names in there. So it is certainly is not a groundswell of opinion. I think the Cayman Islands is very lucky to have a chief police officer with such experience and commitment.”

 

Regional gov’ts warned to strengthen online security

From Go-Jamaica

Governments in the Caribbean are being warned to heighten their online security measures.

The warning came from James Bynoe, the chief executive officer for the Caribbean Cyber Security Centre, who is pointing to increasing attacks by cyber criminals.

It comes two weeks after several cyber attacks were reported in Barbados and the Cayman Islands.

Bynoe said cyber criminals will become a major problem for the region because of the increasing skill of hackers and the growing resources available to use in committing cyber crimes.

He said this is not an issue that can be solved by one organisation or individual countries and suggested that regional governments pull together to ensure that the Caribbean ICT sectors are protected.

For more on this story go to:

http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=48893

 

WestStar robbery – 3 found guilty

Only one of the four men, George Mignott, who were on trial for the May 2012 robbery at the Weststar Television Centre escaped with a Not Guilty verdict on Wednesday (23) in Cayman’s Grand Court.

$8,269.35 was stolen from WestStar and Justice Alastair Malcolm found that David Tamasa and Andre Burton were two of the three people who had entered the premises with what appeared to be firearms. Both men were also found guilty of possessing imitation firearms with intent to commit an offense.

The third man, Ryan Edwards, was found guilty of providing the RVR that was used as the getaway car.

All three convicted robbers are awaiting sentencing on Tuesday (29).