Former police officer wins appeal over beating incident

Rabe Welcome, who was fired from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service after being convicted of malicious wounding a man during an early morning off-duty arrest more than four years ago, has won his appeal.

The Court of Appeal said the trial judge, Justice Alex Henderson, in his summing up to the jury did not make it clear that his guilt or otherwise was not just a matter of whether or not the defendant did or didn’t use reasonable force but whether he honestly believed it to be necessary, even if it was excessive.

The Appeal Judges also refused the crown’s request for a retrial.

Welcome had been given a six months jail sentence.

See iNews Cayman story published October 21 2012 “Ex- cop Welcome gets unwelcome jail sentence” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/ex-cop-welcome-gets-unwelcome-jail-sentence/

3 US Paralympians push hard

Ryan Chalmers, Brian Siemann and Aaron Pike, three American wheelchair athletes, arrived in Grand Cayman last week to raise awareness for disabled athlete.

The three men pushed their wheelchairs around the island for over 55 miles where they were joined by dozens of local cyclists.

They were guests of the Cayman-based Stay Focused programme, which allows disabled teens and young adults to dive while researching the benefits of diving for the disabled.

Chalmers and Siemann were in Cayman last year where they participated in the Cayman Islands Marathon. Chalmers also completed the 55mile around Grand Cayman course last year and when back in the USA he pushed his wheelchair from Los Angeles to New York over a nine-week period.

Archer forecasts surplus hikes

Finance Minister Hon. Marco Archer delivered the Government’s fiscal plan last Thursday (21) outlining its goals for the next three years to put it back in line with the Public Management and Finance Law (PMFL).

The Minister said, “The Government’s medium term plans call for a fiscal plan centered on: prudent fiscal management; private sector economic growth; an educated work-ready populace; and the development of modern infrastructure.”

The Progressives government will move its fiscal year, which currently runs from 1 July through to 30 June, to match the calendar year.

Archer said, with the fiscal year at the moment beginning on 1 July, it is nine months into the year before it is known that there may be a problem in the area where it collects most of its earnings.

This will avoid the current problem of producing two sets of statistics for both the calendar year and the fiscal year.

The change will begin on 1 January 2016. Simultaneously, government will be introducing multi-year budgeting, which will see an 18 month budget delivered at the end of this fiscal year followed by a two year budget on 1 January 2016.

Seafarers unveil monument

At the Cayman Islands Seafarer’s Association’s home on Shamrock Road Grand Cayman, they have just unveiled a monument to honour the men still living and those who have died for their time at sea.

The monument was paid for through the general funding of the Seafarers Association at the cost of $32,000 and was designed for free by an architect who is the son of a seafarer who has passed on.

DOE officers will now be armed

Under the proposed National Conservation Bill Department of Environment (DoE) officers will be able to arm themselves when making arrests.

Officers will be able to carry batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and stab-proof vests.

The Marine Conservation Law surprisingly had revoked DoE’s powers to arrest.

Cayman Development Bank will need refinancing

Wayne Panton, Cayman’s Financial Minister said last Monday (18) in the Legislative Assembly the Cayman Development Bank has debt totaling CI$31.8M that will become due and payable in 2015.

This is due to “balloon payments” (also known as “bullet loans”) where the entire principal becomes due at one time.

The first two payments of $20M and $11.8M are due during government’s 2014/15 budget year whilst the remaining $10M in payments are due during the 2015/16 budget.

Jamaican Ganja trio plead guilty but different versions

Noel Alexander Samuels (46), Derrick Antonio Adlam (49) and Glenval George Grant (46) have all pleaded guilty to importing 185.5 pounds of ganja into Cayman Brac on Sept. 27 in the vicinity of Tiara Beach. However, the three guilty pleads are slightly different. Just ‘guilty’, ‘guilty with explanation’ and ‘guilty under review’.

At the Magistrates Court this week Magistrate Valdis Foldats heard that the three men with addresses in Westmoreland, Jamaica, were couriers and the venue had been organized by another person. The men had been given buckets.

The case was adjourned.

Paws opens its doors

The Protection of Animal Welfare Society for the Eastern District (PAWS Cayman), opened its thrift shop on Saturday (16) opposite the post office in central Bodden Town.

The thrift shop will help raise funds to protect animals including paying for spaying and neutering animals, and tick and flea treatments.

At present the shop will be open Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. but these hours may change the organisers said.

“The hours are still sketchy because the shop is new to the area. At the moment, it is very difficult to pinpoint the hours but, of course, down the road, we will be able to establish a more flexible time.”

December UK Visa Biometric Clinic rescheduled

The monthly visit to Grand Cayman by the United Kingdom’s Visa Biometric Clinic has been rescheduled.

The clinic will not take place on Tuesday, 31 December 2013. It will instead take place on Thursday, 12 December, in the conference room on the ground floor of the Government Administration Building.

In January the clinic will return to its usual day – the final Tuesday of the month (28 January 2014).

Anyone who wishes to apply for a UK visa needs to apply online by visiting http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk . Once the application has been made and paid for, an application reference number will be given, which can be then used to book an appointment at the biometric clinic.

The UK’s Visas and Immigration Department and the Governor’s Office apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Legends Tennis might just become a legend in Cayman and Squash has no juice.

For the first time after 11 years Cayman’s premier tennis tournament in the Caribbean, Legends Tennis Championships, will not happen.

Ritz-Carlton Director of Tennis Thomas Neuert confirmed the tournament will not be staged this year.

No reason has been given although Dan Kneipp who was the tournament organiser left the Cayman Islands earlier in the year.

Kneipp also organised the Cayman Squash Open before he left and that isn’t going to happen either.

This is very disappointing as in 2012 the tournament doubled as the women’s world championships and Malaysia’s seven-time defending world champion Nicol David was here to compete.

Lack of funding was given as the reason by Cayman Islands National Squash Association Chairman Janet Sairsingh.