Convicted lawyer back in court for old DUI

(CNS): Simon Courtney, a corporate attorney jailed this summer after mowing down and seriously injuring two tourists in his powerful sports car after a champagne brunch at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman in January 2015, was back in court this week. Courtney appeared for the final leg of a case relating to dangerous driving and DUI from September 2011. The lawyer again denied the driving charges after being stopped by police on the West Bay Road, when officers said he was doing over 80mph and later tested positive for booze.

Courtney claimed he was neither speeding in his Porsche nor over the limit because the breathalyzer equipment was faulty and that his cell phone could have interfered with readings.

He also denied allegations by the two officers who pulled him over that he told them he was trying to impress his girlfriend with the car’s speed. The case, which was heard in Summary Court, has dragged on for years because of numerous delays and the prioritizing of the charges against Courtney after he hit the visiting couple outside the Ritz in January 2015.

But the case was finally concluded Monday afternoon and Magistrate Valdis Foldats confirmed that he would deliver his verdict in this case later this month. As he queried defence submissions made by attorney John Furniss, who represented Courtney, the magistrate boiled the case down to the fact that either the lawyer was lying or the two police officers had cooked up a dishonest narrative about the events when they stopped him.

Courtney, who is currently serving a three-year prison term for hitting Richard and Kathy Schubert with his Mustang Shelby GT 500 sports car when it mounted the pavement on the West Bay Road, was on bail for this earlier offence at the time.

Courtney’s denials and claims regarding the Ritz incident, as detailed at trial, as well as the fact that he fled the scene had aggravated his punishment. But the judge had also raised concerns about this outstanding case, which he was unable to consider when he delivered his sentencing ruling and urged the lower court to deal with the matter as soon as possible.