Fisherman admits jealousy-fueled attack

| 13/10/2016 | 13 Comments

(CNS): A Honduran fisherman being held in Cayman on drug charges was jailed for six years by a judge Thursday for an attack in a jealous rage on a “defenceless woman”, committed while he was on bail. Meleton Rosales Maick (59) stabbed his victim in January at her own home after a party, at which he had consumed a large amount of alcohol. Although there was no relationship of any kind between the pair, Maick had feelings for the woman that were not reciprocated. After he saw her enjoying the company of other men, he later attacked her with a knife.

Although the woman received a deep laceration to her hand during the struggle, in which she lost a considerable amount of blood, it was not a life threatening wound and most of her injuries were superficial. But during the frenzied and completely unprovoked attack Maick told his victim, “I am going to kill you like an f***ing pig,” as he grabbed a knife and put it to her throat, the court heard.

Originally charged with attempted murder, Maick had denied trying to kill his victim. But as the trial was due to start Thursday, the distress of the victim led the crown to change the charge to one of unlawful wounding with intent in order to extract a guilty plea from the Honduran defendant and save the woman from the further ordeal of facing her attacker and reliving the experience.

Maick came to Cayman in September 2015 aboard a fishing vessel in order to sell a catch. But the 50-foot boat was seized by customs after a search revealed both drugs and illegal booze aboard. Maick and the other six members of the crew were arrested and bailed while the authorities sought to verify that the substance found was ganja, which was still not resolved on the night of the attack, four months after the crew had landed.

The court heard that Maick was staying in the West Bay area as the crew awaited the return of their boat, and had befriended the victim’s father. Crown counsel Nicole Petite told the court that the complainant only knew the defendant because he would visit the family home and her own house was on the same property.

On the night of the attack he brought her a bag of gifts, which she had refused to accept, but Maick asked her to keep them for him and he would come back to get them later.

He then joined a party at the family premises but it appears that when he saw the victim chatting with other men, he became annoyed and left. He returned after the rest of the guests had left and asked the woman for the bag of gifts. As she went into the property to get them, he followed her and grabbed a kitchen knife. Pushing the knife into her throat, he made the threat to kill her. Although he cut her hand, the woman put up a fight, then played dead, at which point Maick left the scene.

By then the victim was bleeding profusely but she called for help and her family raised the alarm. She was taken to hospital, where she was treated for her injuries. The court heard that the woman has continued to suffer as a result of the attack; she is having problems sleeping because of the nightmares and suffering from anxiety

The police arrested Maick on the same night after finding him hiding in a closet at the place where he was staying wearing bloody clothes. He told the police that the “devil made him do something bad” because he was drunk, and admitted the attack.

Represented by John Furniss and assisted by a Spanish interpreter, the judge heard that Maick had admitted being jealous. However, he told the authorities that, having consumed at least three six packs of beer, he could not remember much of what had happened but was in such a state that he lost control.

As he deliberated over the sentence, Justice Charles Quin was told that there was no evidence that the man had previous convictions in Honduras. The judge nevertheless raised a number of aggravating factors, such as the complete lack of provocation for the attack on a “defenceless woman” in her own home, which he said was “inexplicable except for the jealous rage”. That rage was “unjustified and he had no grounds to become jealous” he added.

Justice Quin suggested that Maick could be a candidate for a prisoner exchange and serve some of his sentence in his native Honduras, as he would be deported on release in any event.

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Comments (13)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Do I understand correctly that four months had passed and the authorities could not verify that the defendant’s boat contained ganga? Something is wrong here…

  2. Anonymous says:

    How on earth can this man get away with manslaughter when clearly he killed her like a pig like he said he would (just her quick thinking to play dead luckily saved her life but he thought he killed her just like he said he would kill her like a pig!) Now how the hell does he not get attempted murder?

    This is just another sick case of men abusing women and only getting a slap on their wrist for it. His balls are too big and should be cut off because he killed her because he could not have sex with her, castrate this savage murderous beast and give him life in prison!

    He’s going to be out of prison in a couple years, God only knows what he will do next!

    I tell you this Honduran fishermen that come to Cayman are criminals, they bring you snapper, lobster, etc that is laced with formaldehyde which damages the immune nervous system of a person, so they can get money while we get illnesses or even die young from it because they don’t have better fishing practices to preserve fish out at sea than put chemicals on it used in embalming dead people. And they carry stolen goods back on their boats with them to Honduras. These guys are deadly! I have been trying to warn over and over about these Honduran fishermen guys, they are deadly!

    Who robbed Caymana Bay jewelry store, answer me that?

    • Anonymous says:

      So then, very interesting. If you can prove all this suggest you hop on down to RCIPS. If not, its just a racist chant…

  3. Anonymous says:

    Had the RCIPS completed the review of the drugs found on his vessel, he either would have been serving a sentence in jail already, or sent on his way, and this violent event never would have happened. The RCIPS are culpable in that they hadn’t made that simple determination for FOUR MONTHS!!!! Tell me WTF is wrong with this picture!!!!

  4. Mr. Magnanimous says:

    Yes, It’s another dumb law. Any person who needs to know that the person in question is a thief or worse before hiring him won’t be able to get that information. Mr. Premier, why do you want to provide cover for criminals?

  5. Anonymous says:

    And if Mr. Premier has his way in changing certain laws, this criminal’s record will be washed clean after a few years….and be able to return to Cayman. It looks like we are in a rush to make things worse.

    • Anonymous says:

      Read the law. A six year sentence for violence will not be expunged.

    • Anonymous says:

      So in your world every stupidity should be punished for life? You ever do something stupid? Want to forget about it? The way you think no one will ever be allowed that.

      • Anonymous says:

        Wow, in what world is it permissible to dismiss this violent act as merely forgivable stupidity? Had she not blocked the knife with her own hand, in which part of her body do you think it would have stopped, and would she still be alive today? This was attempted murder – had she not defended herself she’d be in a casket right now.

        • Anonymous says:

          Agreed with 8:55 am. We caymanian are the most stupid people in the world, its a good thing God has taken us as his chosen people or we would be in worst shape.

        • Anonymous says:

          Like the Honduran woman who killed Perry Mclaughlin in Little Cayman and now is serving a 6 year sentence.

      • Anonymous says:

        Are you for real??!! “Stupid” this crime was not. He should stay in jail until he is 100 yrs old.

    • Anonymous says:

      H
      ope he does not get elected again

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