Grand Court judge in the Cayman Islands, Ingrid Mangatal, pleaded guilty last week to driving under the influence of alcohol and careless driving.

Judge Mangatal, former judge of the Jamaican Supreme Court was fined a total of CI$600 and her driver’s licence suspended for a year.

The Court heard Mangatal recalled having three glasses of wine with dinner on the night in question before getting ready for bed and had no recollection of what happened next.

And what happened was bizarre.

The Judge subconsciously drove for several miles in her night clothes before crashing her car into a concrete barrier.

Medical experts testified that it could have been caused by a mixture of alcohol and the anti-anxiety medication she was taking.

The accident happened when she collided with a barrier close to Governors Square on September 4th last year.

Despite her knowledge of the law and the circumstances surrounding the incident, where she could have pushed for a trial and made the crown prove its case, she had chosen not to do so.

The Senior Magistrate, Juan Wolffe, who was brought from Bermuda to hear the case, took that into account when sentencing Mangatal.

The majority of the media writers on our popular websites were quick to put the knife in.

One person asked the question, what if? What if she picked up a knife or gun and started strolling down the street “impaired” without any knowledge of what she was doing like all of these alcoholics claim. “You got off lightly”.

Another one said she should resign. “An experienced person of the world, at 53, should know that you take a serious risk if you drink 3 glasses of wine while you are on anxiety medication, especially, as it seems in this case, you are alone in your household.”

“Her sentence is disgusting. She should have be held to account a lot higher than anyone else. it’s a disgrace.”

“Seems that judges / politicians and anyone related to them get off lightly.”

“When we have no faith in the judiciary, people will take the law into their own hands!!”

“No wonder our young people have gone astray. When those who should be setting a good example are displaying a total disregard for law and order.”
“Got off easy. She should have to attend AA for a year. Embarrassment has nothing to do with justice of the law. This legal system we have here stinks. It’s a failing system.”

Then there were ridiculous comparisons to the Judge Levers case which I will not waste my time going down that road.

SOURCE: https://caymannewsservice.com/2018/03/judge-admits-drunk-and-careless-driving/

Thankfully, there were also some people writing in her favour.

We all make mistakes. We all do things, if we had hindsight, we would not do if we are law abiding. There is no doubt Judge Mangatal is.

If you are going to stick a knife in make sure it is a dead steak!