Grocery store robber jailed for 9 years
(CNS): A local man who went on a crime rampage and, after they caught him, told police he wanted to go to prison got his wish Friday when he was jailed for nine years. Gerado George Conolly (26) used a modified, but unloaded, flare gun to hold up the Lookout Grocery Store in Bodden Town last June in the middle of the afternoon. After threatening the store clerk and a customer, Conolly made off with cash and personal items, including the car keys of the customer. He then used that car to make his escaped, but the police were soon on his tail.
Conolly had headed toward East End but turned back when he encountered a police road block. The RCIPS gave chase and Conolly eventually smashed the stolen gold Ford Explorer near the Lighthouse restaurant.
The court heard that he was high on drugs when he was apprehended by the police. Conolly had at first threatened to kill the officers but then said he was ready to go to jail.
The judge described the robbery as “a depressingly familiar offence in the Cayman Islands”, as he delivered his sentencing ruling.
After giving Conolly a discount on his sentence for his confession, the judge handed him an eight year term for the robbery, seven years for the possession of an unlicensed gun (as the crown claimed the modified weapon was capable of firing ammunition), and two years for stealing the car, which the judge ordered should be served concurrently.
But the judge said the damage to the car, which Conolly smashed up at the end of the chase, was gratuitous and added the one year term for that onto his eight years.
Having handed Conolly, who until this point had only ever been charged with minor offences, the nine-year sentence, the judge said he would still be a young man when he was released and advised him to “put this nonsense” behind him after he served his time.
But the judge reminded others that everyone should know what is going to happen to them in Cayman if they choose to deal with guns.
who ya gonna call”Ghost busters!” ha ha ha…guy in a fantasy world???
Surely there must be a deportation order for whichever foreigner, who we presume to be a Jamaica, who led this poor poor man astray.
I have no problems with this sentence, but how does this compare to the sentences that have been handed out for molesting children or killing (or almost killing) someone by dangerous driving?
Holding a gun in your hand gives you automatically 8 years, but you can continue to mow down people driving drunk after only doing a few months in jail? A car can be just as much a dangerous weapon as a gun!
Good to see a serious penalty for serious crimes. Thanks Judge.
Deportation order?
about time they start deporting Caymanians
“A local man”
“A local man….” The whole article starts with that, or are you just a WUM/Troll.
Isn’t he caymanian??
Does he have a letter of acknowledgement?
Should add restitution to pay for vehicle to victime he smashed to the list of offences, SMH.
Good !