Acquitted fire officer back at work

| 16/01/2017 | 34 Comments

(CNS): Almost two years after he was placed on required leave as a result of allegations relating to a hit-and-run, the former acting chief fire officer, John Bodden, returned to work on Monday as a station officer. Bodden was acquitted last week of charges in connection with a road collision in January 2015, in which two brothers were knocked off a bicycle as they crossed the road near Countryside Village in Savannah by a driver who fled the scene. Bodden, who denied he was driving at the time, was cleared of careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident by the magistrate, who throw out the case at the half-way point for lack of evidence.

But the case has dragged through the courts and the current fire chief, David Hails, pointed out that because the senior fire officer had been off duty so long, he would need to refresh his skills.

“Due to the length of time Mr Bodden has been off duty, he will be placed on day shift until he has carried out refresher training and undergoes performance assessments to determine that he is fit for operational duty,” Hails said in a release, adding that once Bodden is back up to speed, he will be placed on a duty watch.

 

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  1. Disgusted civil servant says:

    Looks like our Dep Governor has lost his gift of gab. Just because you are happy to slosh around in this dirt and pretend that all is well doesn’t mean that we are sir. We are actually extremely disgusted with how you have handled the matter with both the fire officer and the senior civil servant who was supporting him in court Mr Manderson. Who are you looking out for? Clearly it is not the loyal, honest civil servants any more.

  2. Diogenes says:

    Hails must be so proud to head such a moral and upstanding service, where those charged with protecting the public apparently sleep through a RTA whilst being chauffeured by those they believe to be illegal immigrant drug dealers. Bodden hasn’t just dragged himself into the gutter, he has given a barrel full of rocks to those who say Caymanians or civil servants are protected from the consequences of their actions. Sickening.

  3. Fireman Sam says:

    Back to the domino table and dart board is more accurate. Whatever happened to the officers who abused the female officer on the Brac a few years ago? Where are they now?

  4. Anonymous says:

    hopefully karma sorts everything out……
    because we can’t depend on cayman justice!!!!!

    • ANON says:

      I couldn’t agree with you more 1:11am!!!

      CNS where are the thumbs up/thumbs down/troll buttons?? Please bring them back, thanks!

  5. Anonymous says:

    Oh Jesus commentators, I’ve been here for nearly 50 years and here we have a situation where a Caymanian gets off scot free. So what’s new?! It’s been going on forever and it will never change. Get over it.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Absurdistan supernova. A Lodgetastic overload.

  7. Anonymous says:

    You all mustn’t forget that theres politics in this too. Bodden was made acting Chief Fireman by Eric Bush after Alden went down the LA beating up his gums about how the Chief Fireman had always been a Caymanian. From what we see now, Bodden never got picked for his smartness. You can put two in two together and figure who might be trying to protect him. I know one thing, people not going forget come May.

  8. Cheese Face says:

    Did anyone ever thing to check the car for prints? I’m pretty sure this “friend” could be much closer to home than we are being led to believe.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Whoever decided this man should keep his job in these circumstances should be fired.

  10. OneVoice says:

    This is very unfortunate. Caymanian or not he should not be returned to his job at all.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Must get me a job at CIG so I can commit any crime I like without consequence.

  12. anonymous says:

    Civil service bosses are too busy enforcing moral standards and rules against what consenting adults do in their private bedrooms that they have no time to focus on these petty issues.

    Welcome to the reimagined Civil Service where we focus on the things that really impact our society.

  13. Anonymous says:

    a disgrace.

  14. Anonymous says:

    I’ll join, as another small voice in the forest of corruption, to yell “this is absolutely disgusting”. If the Deputy Governor continues to allow this, he may as well resign now!

    Regardless of what the Court of law determines, the standard of conduct in the public service should require that this “officer” relinquishes his post.

    Honourable icons of the civil service past would roll in their graves!! Shame on Alden, Franz and other “‘leaders”.

  15. Anonymous says:

    It’s increasingly clear that in addition to the public’s concern about the increase of crime we are also concerned about the lack of justice in Cayman. We have over the years seen questionable judgements or decisions handed down that has left us all now without faith in our legal system. It is a very sad state of affairs for Cayman..

    • Anonymous says:

      Quite. And nobody has yet explained the outrageous acquittal of a former talk show host from domestic violence charges by a magistrate here on the grounds, as I recall, that he had “suffered enough”. Does the Chief Justice just stand by in silence while these gross miscarriages of justice occur?

  16. Anonymous says:

    Terrible result.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Absolutely disgraceful! There was no justice for the two young victims. And bodden has no shame in his game by returning back to work. Imagine he was Acting Fire Cheif when he let his unnamed and uncharged “friend” use his car that hit two young boys and flee the scene. No justice served!

  18. Anonymous says:

    An embarrassment

    • Anonymous says:

      The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. I love this crazy little Island.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Well kiss my neck!
    I’m calling on the Deputy Governor to issue a statement telling civil servants and the Caymanian people whether it is acceptable for any civil servant to conceal from immigration suspicions that they have about a FRIEND being in Cayman illegally and from police authorities suspicions that they have about a FRIEND selling drugs. We need to know. Then we can decide whether he needs to go along with the person who did that in a sworn statement.

  20. Anonymous says:

    Imagine a civil service . . .
    . . where everyone can say what they want, do what they want, and there are now consequences.
    “Yuh nah gah imagine dat mih son; we gah dat a ready”.

  21. Anonymous says:

    What a disgrace! Had this story been about me (private sector worker) you can guarantee I would be looking for a new job and I’m not even supposed to PROTECT AND SERVE the general population.

    • Anonymous says:

      The most disgraceful part of the story was the fact that it has been 2 years to find a no case to answer after all the posturing by this fire officer, and yet the crown couldn’t determine this before the 2 years went by.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes, that the Crown did not press to find “his criminal associate” and bring him to justice for the two boys. Bodden absolved himself of all responsibility but didn’t help direct authorities to the perpetrator either. A transcript of this trial would be very telling of how senior civil servants in trusted positions routinely impede justice by misplacing key information and people.

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