I am a worried man today.  I am worried because my editorial can be misconstrued, as I do not have the full facts. My sources for the editorial are from second and third hand reports that I have received.

Never-the-less, for what it is worth, I am going to reveal the reason for my worries.

Worry #1. The high speed police chase on Tuesday just before lunch time in George Town, especially along Eastern Avenue.

The police chase involved three police cars being damaged and four private vehicles, one belonging to a friend of mine. My friend had been waiting patiently in line at the stop sign at the traffic lights on Eastern Avenue leading onto North Church St./West Bay Road when a car hit her vehicle at full force.

The police helicopter was hovering noisily above the chase presumably relaying instructions.

My wife was just backing out of our driveway onto Helen’s Drive when a police car came rushing down the narrow 12ft private section of the road with sirens blaring. In the process it very nearly ran over a man who was painting indication marks along the road prior to one of the telecommunication companies fibre optic cable laying.

Immediately my wife had got out of the way another police car appeared from the opposite direction and rushed up the narrow section of road at full speed.

Luckily nothing was coming the other way along the road at the blind right hand bend at the top of this section otherwise there would have been a collision.

I immediately thought the police had to be after a gang of armed criminals to warrant all this activity. Even more when I learnt from my friend that after her 3 week old new car was hit by the vehicle the police were chasing, she was surrounded by more police, some carrying guns!

So the criminalS I first thought was ONE criminal. But he had to have been dangerous. Right?

From the police report I received: “a 34 year old male is currently in Custody for the Offences of Suspicion of Burglary, Dangerous Driving and a Warrant for failing to Appear in Court.”

So we have a SUSPICION of burglary and a WARRANT FOR FAILING TO APPEAR IN COURT.

The police I know are well trained to drive at great speeds but the person or persons they are chasing are not.

This is what makes me worried.

I am not saying the police should not chase suspects but when there is a danger factor of innocent persons being hurt, private vehicles damaged and even death resulting, surely all this should come into the account of whether the person being chased demands this risk.

On what facts I have I would say ‘No” it didn’t. There was a great risk of persons being seriously hurt and even killed. It is a miracle to me that this didn’t happen. Even so, with SEVEN vehicles being damaged, some badly, that still makes me say the chase was overkill.

My friend is now off work and is very shaken up. Within seconds of a car coming from nowhere and hitting her and then being surrounded by police and (according to her) carrying guns she was almost traumatised.

The comparison I can think of is a man stealing a loaf of bread and hiding so a tank is sent out to demolish every building until they find him.

Worry #2. The man that took the opportunity of stealing two pieces of jewellery after the attempted armed robbery at Diamonds International on New Year’s Day, appeared in court last Monday (6) and was remanded in custody by the magistrate in charge.

Why am I worried?

Four things.

The two pieces of jewelry (a watch and gold chain) were recovered almost immediately.

The man did not keep the jewelry – he handed the two pieces to a neighbour.

He admitted he had done this to the police.

The man has serious mental health problems!!!!

A report has been waiting for over a year on another matter whether he is in fact sane enough to plead!!

The man’s defence lawyer argued well enough on his behalf:

1. There was nothing sophisticated about the crime her client was accused of
2. He took the items in full view of the security cameras and in front of the police commissioner
3.  He had nothing to do with the actual prior armed robbery.
4. 4.    He was in need of medical and professional assistance
5. 5.    If he were indicted he would not receive any of the support he needed in jail.
6. 6.    If the man was bailed it could be under the supervision of professionals.
7. 7.    The case needed to be dealt with in the mental health court.

The lawyer was right and in my humble opinion the magistrate was wrong.

The courts will now have to decide what can be done with him and how long is that going to take.

There is published evidence galore that a prison is NOT the place for anyone with mental problems. It makes their illness considerably worse.

The reasoning again seems over kill. Lock up – problem out of mind.

I am worried because I hate taking issue with the police and the judiciary.

Maybe it is because I do not have all the facts? My sources are at best second hand and largely third.

I hope that is the reason.

In the meantime I have to stay worried.

NOTE: There is a Front Page article on the subject of mentally ill prisoners being incarcerated in today’s iNews Cayman