Gang suspect convicted over gun
Jose Sanchez
(CNS): A West Bay man described by police as a gang member has been convicted of possessing an illegal firearm and faces a ten-year statutory minimum sentence. Jose Sanchez (29), who was acquitted of murdering Special Olympian Solomon Webster last summer, was found guilty Wednesday following a judge alone trial of having a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun at a Bodden Town bar last July. The case against Sanchez hung on the evidence of three witnesses. As he delivered his verdict, Justice Charles Quin said he found them to be “reliable and truthful”.
Sanchez has been involved with the criminal justice system since he was a teenager. He was acquitted of murder for the first time five years ago, when he and two other men were found not guilty of murdering Alrick Peddie, who was gunned down in his West Bay yard in 2010 in what was believed to be a gang-related killing. Since then, Sanchez, who is considered a dangerous gangster by the police, has evaded any major criminal charges.
Sanchez walked free from court on his second murder charge last June after the judge threw out the case against him for killing Webster due to a lack of evidence, but just a few weeks later he was arrested and charged with this firearms offence.
Sanchez had denied having the gun. During the trial he claimed that Deborah Johnson, a security guard who testified that she had refused Sanchez entry into the Everglo Bar because he was armed with the gun, was lying because she was trying to earn a reward from the police. He said she had refused him entry because he was carrying a bottle of alcohol that had not been purchased at the bar.
He claimed that Sean Dunbar, who has already been convicted of possessing the same gun, was a dishonest drug dealer who was lying to lessen his own culpability. Sanchez said that Ashleigh Terry, the third eye witness who was charged with accessory to possession of the weapon, was lying to protect herself and Dunbar, her fiancé.
The court heard during the trial from Dunbar and Terry that Sanchez had tried to give the gun to them when the police arrived at the bar. The couple said Sanchez had consistently tried to hand the weapon to Dunbar, but when he persistently refused, he thrust the gun into the stomach of Terry and walked off. Terrified over what had happened she immediately went and hid the gun behind a car.
However, when Sanchez was arrested and taken away by police, Dunbar admitted retrieving the weapon from behind the car and taking it home.
As a result of a tip off from Johnson, the security guard who refused Sanchez entry to the bar and who had also seen Sanchez give the gun to Terry, the police followed Dunbar and Terry when they left the Everglo and arrested them both after they found the weapon. Police also found a bullet, a modified flare-gun and ganja at the home of Dunbar and Terry.
The judge said that although there were inconsistencies in the evidence given by the three witnesses, he believed them. While he accepted that the weapon and drugs were found at the couple’s home and that Johnson had asked to be paid to give a statement, there was no evidence of collusion between her and the couple over the material evidence, which he found to be consistent.
Their evidence was also supported by the traces of Sanchez’ DNA found on the weapon, which could not have got there through accidental transference.
The judge also pointed to Sanchez’ failure to comment at all after his arrest when he was faced with the allegations that he had brought a gun to the Everglo bar.
In particular, the judge pointed to Sanchez’ failure to mention the bottle of booze that he said he had tried to take into the bar, claiming that was the reason he was refused entry. Given how important that was as a defense, the judge drew an adverse inference from his silence when arrested.
Justice Quin said he believed there was “overwhelming evidence to support the charge” and that he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Sanchez was in possession of a gun on 4 July last year when he tried to enter the Everglo bar.
Sanchez was remanded in custody and judge adjourned the case for two weeks in order to allow the prosecution and defence attorneys to set a sentencing hearing.
Category: Local News
I don’t care where he was born, if the police consider him to be so dangerous he needs caging for as long as possible. It’s a public safety issue. This guy’s basically a terrorist.
Yes they will speak about cleaning up street crime LETS START. WITH THE ROOF FIRST THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO MOP THE FLOOR if you know what I mean. Not racist born mixed race. THAT IS WHY OF THE ONLY TWO HAIRS ON MY CHEST ONE IS BLACK AND ONE IS WHITE. TAKE THAT.
CNS: Just to let you know, comments that are mostly in caps are quite often deleted for that reason. On the internet it’s called shouting and is considered rude.
When you single out one ethnic group /family , that had nothing to do with what that one person did , then you are racist. Then when you write a comment on a article you need to stay on the subject, and not make your own subject. But I still believe that all racists people should be deported of the drop off , because racism has no place in the world today .
Oh for God’s sake, SHUT UP…! Who is singling out any ethnicity? Idiots like you do nothing more than clutter up news feeds, and this one is already confusing enough.
Jeez what a mess. Most on here not happy that a criminal is finally put away, but is he Caymanian or not. What the f**k does it matter? All your comments do is show where the racism lies on this island. Truly pathetic. Now run off to your crooked pastors and confess you stupidity.
CNS .
I take great offense at you for posting such racists and bigoted comments in your Newspaper , such as what anonymous 18/08/2016 @ 1: 26 pm wrote .
You that wrote the comment should be man or woman enough to identify yourself , and a shamed of yourself , and be deported of the drop off .
Ron. Ebanks.
How’s is that racist if it against your own? Go figure…
or if it has nothing to do with race.
Well done Judge Quinn. Can’t wait for you and Judge Ramsay to TEAM up and clean Cayman streets up. You are the next best Judge after Ramsay.
Saying goes “live by the gun, die by the gun”. His day finally catch up on him. And to all those out there who think the police and judicial system doesn’t work, it does. It’s us society that is working against them to keep these criminals out on the street. Stop hiding and sheltering them, give them up (family or no family) eventually they will turn on you too!
The police need the community to work as a TEAM with them to clean our beautiful islands up!!!!!! Stop being naïve and ignorant.
..Ummmm…Ramsay left this hopeless court system when she saw that no matter how she busted her ass for these losers, nothing was changing. Believe me, she isn’t coming back. Can’t blame her. And when these kids are living by the gun you have to look at their roots, they were taught this by someone, or not taught what was the wrong choices, in either case, its a recipe for disaster. XXXXX
Cayman problem. Deal with it!
Sure, but how and when did it become Cayman’s problem? What agencies, from immigration to education to social services may have failed to lead us to where we are? Where is the accountability?
Ummmm. Ok! Thanks for the tip there, Sparky….
Go find out who his mama is from West Bay, if she ain’t Caymanian all the Ebanks need to be deported as well. He’s local born right here to a Caymanian. Our own problem. End!
wont be eating any more totinos pizza and wearing his superman shirt anymore!
what you all fail to realize is that when one mobster is removed from the public another will take his place. It’s been this was since the industrial revolution.
Who’s a mobster? Mobsters were classy guys with lots of swag, lots of respect and lots of money. LOLOL…he’s just a young thug, XXXXXX. And raised in Logwoods, no less!
You cannot deport a Caymanian.
How do you know he is a Caymanian?
You obviously are not Caymanian or know who are Caymanian. What a laugh
damn straight, but I bet we can deport all these Caymanian wanna be’s…we come by pain, not by plane, and he may be a thug but he’s our f&\%^&*ng thug. Straight.
What deportation? he a full Caymanian.
What makes him a full Caymanian? Were his parents British Subjects, possessing Cayman status, married and settled in the Cayman Islands at the date of his birth. Did he become Caymanian by entitlement? Was there and application for continuation of status prior to his 18th birthday? Was it approved?
Sorry to burst your bubble but most criminals in Cayman are Caymanian! Live with it!
Not denying that. Just questioning what makes him a Caymanian.
You mean the ones that are getting caught…..because there are tons more criminals here committing crimes, but they never get caught because their country men in the RCIPS do nothing.
This pos is a Caymanian, Cayman problem and should remain in cayman.
Why should this pos be forced onto other countries just because somewhere down the line, his ancestors didn’t travel by donkey to George Town or wreck boats for a living?
Utter POS.
This guy ain’t a gangster.
So finally………. the ‘Teflon Don from the West’ has been convicted of a serious crime in the Cayman Islands.
Good work Roderick and others. You all deserve a commendation !!
theres only one Teflon and its me
About time! Well done Sir, more judges like Mr Quin.
Well at least some lives can be saved now.
But nothing happened to Dunbar?
Deport him straight to west bay! Local
Gangster? Please. Scared, idiotic little boy more like.
We need a lot more of these judge only trials in order to get justice in the Cayman Islands. Juries will often opt for reasonable doubt in cases involving locals and not convict.
Or not convict their second cousins…There are many many cases where guilt is obvious but Cayman juries have refused to convict.
Thank you Justice Quin, one down with more to go!
Deportation order?
why you idiots keep saying that.Is it because of the surname.Well you should know by now,that a persons surname has nothing to do with being a BORN Caymanian,Cayman has come a long way from only the Traditional names.
OK. Was he born Caymanian? What year was he born? Was he born in Cayman? Were his parents British Subjects at the date of his birth? Were they “settled” here. Did they possess Caymanian Status at the date of his birth? Is anyone asking these questions before they seemingly randomly declare someone to be Caymanian.
He was born in Cayman of Caymanian mother and grandmother, whey ya mother come from you come from. His mother born ya she na on ya. He is no anchor baby he is from here so we will have to deal with him and the good justice Quin has done that!
Deny and deport just because you can’t deal with the person that “local” culture created! If he has lived here all his life then Cayman created him!
Can you please stop leaving idiotic comments? The fact that you have to ask these questions clearly shows you definitely are not Caymanian or anything near it. If I am wrong about your nationality then you sir/Ma’am need to do your homework before spewing rubbing from your mouth. Why don’t you go ask these questions to the correct authorities? FOI maybe?
Or perhaps the authorities need to do their homework. Just sayin.
He’s caymanian only place he can go is west bay
He’s a Caymanian! Mother hails several generations of Cayman, so he’s here to stay. face it some criminals are born & bred here, can’t always blame the driftwood.
Deport to West Bay?
Lol idiot hes local
Cayman should make greater use of deportations. It would save a lot of money that could be better used other than caring for criminals.
Deport him to where, West Bay? He born here, his mother born here too, her mother and grandmother… His father is from Latin America probably Mexico but try sending him there and ex-president Vicente Fox will be glad to give you similar advice to what was given to “The Donald” on his wall that Mexico will pay for… “Where the $&@! you sending him, he is yours keep him”.
Will save more lives
Can’t deport. He was born in Cayman to a Caymanian mother. Father is a mexican.
Were they married at the date of his birth? Was his mother domiciled in Cayman when he was born?
You all need to stop asking stupid questions!! He is a born Caymanian! His mother is a Caymanian, and so is his grandmother!! Do your research before you try to act ignorant!!
Poster 9:41 you forgot to ask did his parents get their “caymanian” by the status grants of 2004 oh no I will ask did you? Hate to burst your bubble his mother born here and her mother and grandmother and so was he. If his parents were married or not that is a moot fact all that matters he and his mother, grandmother and great grandmother were born here. That makes him Caymanian to the core, so how Caymanian are you?
To a real hell hole of a jail in Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Brazil
Awesome Job, RCIPS, Justic Quin & The Crown who worked very hard for this conviction!