Former Royal Cayman Islands Police Service police officer Raphael Williams was in disgrace because of allegations of attempting to illicit sexual favours from a woman after a routine traffic stop.

He sadly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree. His body was found off Colliers Wilderness Drive in East End, days after he was arrested on suspicion of blackmail and breach of trust.

At the inquest last Wednesday (10) it was stated by the police they found intimate photographs on his cell phone, one was believed to be of a girl aged between 12 -14 although under cross-examination the police officer aid he could not be 100% sure the girl was below the age of 18.

Did Williams hang himself because he was so ashamed he couldn’t face up to the guilt? Or was it another reason.

His poor wife thinks so and she told the Coroner’s Court the last words her husband said to her. If only a small % are true it is very alarming and should certainly warrant some form of investigation from OUTSIDE the police.

Natalie Williams, the deceased’s wife said:

1. The complainant against her husband was a friend of another police officer who disliked him following a badge number mix up when both men joined the police service.
2. The allegations made against him were false because some people wanted rid of him because he had issued traffic tickets to people who were friendly with the Commissioner.
3. Morale was low in the RCIPS ever since Operation Tempura.
4. There was entrenched discrimination between the Caribbean officers, including Caymanians, and the UK officers.
5. The Caribbean officers and Caymanians were put under much more pressure and stress and whenever a Caribbean officer made a mistake, the management fully prosecuted those officers but the UK officers’ mistakes were covered up.
6. His arrest had been executed by officers involved in Operation Tempura.
7. He said he was badly mistreated by the Tempura officers after his arrest.
8. He had requested being allowed to go through the back door of the George Town police station but was made to go through the front door.
9. He was placed in the cell that had been condemned by the Commissioner and not fit for humans before his interview.
10. It had been a hard job for her husband to obtain bail but after it had been granted when he returned to the police station to answer it he was told he now had to go to Northward the next week.
11. He had requested lawyer Peter Polack to represent him but was told he wouldn’t be able to afford him.
12. He was very scared at the threat he was going to Northward prison.
13. Natalie Williams had not been allowed to view her husband’s body.

So how much of that do you believe?

The references to Operation Tempura seem to me a little far fetched as a reason for his ill treatment.

However the racial claims of preferences being given to UK police over Caribbean / Caymanian officers that work for the RCIPS I have heard echoed before.

And being placed in a condemned police cell actually adds some support to his allegations IF there was another available cell.

A man is not guilty until proved.

And the covering up of mistakes by UK officers being covered up whilst the ones committed by Caribbean’s is another one I have heard before.

I cannot conceivably believe a fabrication of the charges against PC Williams was because of a badge number mix up from a fellow officer who disliked him.

And then there are all those cell phone photos…….. someone really would have to dislike him to fabricate those?

However, did anyone try and discover who the photograph of the young girl believed to be under 18 was?

So how seriously should we take any of the claims?