Inmate stabs fellow prisoner with light tube

| 05/09/2016 | 24 Comments
Cayman News Service

Chadwick Dale

(CNS): An inmate at HMP Northward will be serving two additional years for stabbing another prisoner with a broken glass light tube from his cell. Chadwick Dale (25) is already serving a six-year term for robbery and wounding, plus another year that was added in 2014 for escaping from the prison along with Steve and Marcus Manderson. Dale stabbed Marcus Manderson as he was passing Dale’s cell on the way to the shower while they were both on 24-hour lock down in the prison’s high security unit.

The court heard Monday that Dale, who has some mental health challenges, smashed up his cell before the stabbing. As Manderson passed close to the cell door, Dale pushed the broken glass tube he had pulled from the light fixture through the small opening in his cell door towards his fellow inmate, stabbing him in the side.

Manderson, who is serving a ten-year term for possession of an unlicensed firearm, suffered a significant, though not life-threatening, wound that required about twelve stitches.

The incident took place two years ago, on the evening of 3 September 2014. The piece of glass tube covered in Manderson’s blood was found in Dale’s wrecked cell, but despite the evidence, he had denied the attack and pleaded not guilty to the charge of wounding.

After several delays owing to problems with court time, Dale’s own mental health difficulties and issues with representation, the case was finally due to be heard today (5 September). But shortly after the crown prosecutor on the case, Scott Wainwright, opened the case for the jury, Dale changed his mind and pleaded guilty.

The judge handed Dale the two-year sentence after hearing from his attorney, Crister Brady, who told the court that his client had very little memory of the day in question and that there were concerns about Dale’s mental health problems.

He also noted that at the time, both Dale and Manderson were on 24-hour lock-down and had been for a long period, which had fueled the frustrations. Since then, he said, the two men were reconciled and Manderson had no interest in giving evidence against Dale, whom he had apparently forgiven.

The judge said that given the guilty plea, albeit late in the day, and the mitigating factors, weighed against the seriousness of the offence, which was aggravated by the fact it happened in jail, the shortest term he could give Dale was two years, which would be added to his existing seven-year term.

Dale, who is Jamaican, is now serving nine years. He was jailed in 2012 and had expected to go before the parole board later this year for consideration for release, but with the extra time for the 2013 jail break and now the additional two-year sentence, Dale’s release and subsequent deportation is likely to be several years away.

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Category: Courts, Crime

Comments (24)

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  1. Crime Stoppa says:

    Should probably have got a reduction but so it go.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Marcus probably promised em a boat ride out when he escaped lol

  3. Anonymous says:

    These waste bags should be deported forthwith. How much of these derelicts can this little island accommodate? No wonder poor Jamaica has such a high crime rate.

    • Anonymous says:

      with a very long band of not being allowed back into the country

    • Anonymous says:

      We are our worse enemies. It is people like him that we should not be hiring on these islands. Stop importing criminals, we have our isn’t home grown ones to deal with. Is it all because of greed that we are importing criminals?

  4. Anonymous says:

    A poster child for “three strikes and you’re out”. There evidence is that there is no benefit to society and law abiding good people in letting this sort of person out of jail ever.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Free Steve!

  6. Anon says:

    Good. Keep the burglars away from society as long as possible. My transportation was stolen last Friday night and the inconvenience and frustration caused makes me want to make an appointment to choke one of those prisoners.

  7. Anonymous says:

    it’s like the more severe your crime is, the less your severe your punishment is. Welcome to paradise.

  8. Captain Obvious says:

    2 additional years for attempted murder… Seems rehabilitation is going well.

  9. Anonymous says:

    im no rocket scientist but why not just send these criminals back where they came from (Jamaica)?

    • Anonymous says:

      For the same reason the U.S cant just send Jeffrey Webb back to Cayman . If a crime is committed in a country then the prison time should be served in that country . At the end of the sentence however that person should be repatriated and banned from entering the country where the offence was committed

      • G.Towner says:

        That’s the United States! They can afford it! But Cayman is so small. These prisoners are taxing us by remaining here. They are costly. They should be deported right away and not play with the system for more time. He shouldn’t have been given two more years … because of his second offence, his time should have been cut short and DEPORTATION right away.

        • Anonymous says:

          What a racist comment. Cayman can take 300,000 more with no problem. The citizens of the world should have free access to these islands. After all the world is running out of countries to completely screw up.
          No problem, Alden and his cheesebags are right on this one.

    • Anonymous says:

      Problem with that is they won’t serve anytime in Jamaica and be back here on the next boat to commit crimes here, until someone winds up dead.

    • Anonymous says:

      Charter CAL and get them out of here.

    • Anonymous says:

      don,t blame jamaica for its people action because am sure criminals all over this world every man is responsible for there own action blame the person not jamaica

  10. Anonymous says:

    Jamaica’s new prison, a gift from HRM should be completed soon so there is the perfect opportunity to send him back to his homeland to finish his sentence.

    • Anonymous says:

      why should he finish is sentence in jamaica when he did not commit the crime in jamaica ?

      • Anonymous says:

        He should finish his sentence in Jamaica here’s why http://time.com/4055146/uk-jamaica-prison/. Also he is a Jamaican national and it would be to his advantage to serve his time back in his country of origin where at the very least he can get regular visits from his family members, which could help with his mental state.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Lunatics

  12. Headtie says:

    “Dale’s release and subsequent deportation is likely to be several years away.” – Nooooo!

    Pack ’em up and ship’ em out. Saves money and makes space for one of our own. I mean, some people reading this article would not go as far down to see that Dale is not Caymanian in in shape or form.

    Not that I’m bashing Jamaicans. I thank CNS for pointing out his nationality. Dale needs professional, mental help and there’s more resources for his treatment in Jamaica than we have here.

    After all, we have our own crazy people to try and take care of. I use try loosely…because the proper help never seems to come to those needing it most.

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