Customs officer acquitted in gun case
Claude Anthony Terry on the customs vessel on Cayman Brac
(CNS): It took a jury around half an hour to find Claude Terry (36) not guilty of having an illegal gun, Friday, following a week-long trial. A customs officer based on Cayman Brac, Terry was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm after a Smith & Wesson revolver and bullets were found in August 2016 in a box inside a water tank at the apartment complex where he lived. The weapon had been seized by customs several years before but had gone missing from the customs office more than 12 months before it was discovered in the tank, suspended on a rope.
Terry had denied possessing the weapon and said there were traces of his DNA, along with several other profiles found on the gun, because he handled the weapon and the case as part of his work, as it was in a cabinet in the office where many other seized items were held. Terry had told the court that security procedures on the Brac at customs were “lackadaisical” and he believed there were people who could have set him up. The jury also heard during the trial that the tank was not locked and accessible to many people.
Terry was acquitted by the jury and discharged by the judge after the speedy verdict. The judge had also directed the jury to acquit Terry of possessing pepper spray after evidence was presented that Terry had been issued that by the police in his role as a customs officer.
I’m glad this young man was acquitted. He seems a hard-working and responsible Customs Officer. Welcome back, Anthony.
We need to remember: He has been acquitted. It is done. Speculation is fine, but the case has been adjudicated and he should not have to suffer harassment. Fini.
CNS was there any reason given why
1) The gun was not destroyed when initially recoved by customs in 2005?
2) Who is responsible for the storage area and the proceedures where the gun was kept?
3)Was the theft of this gun ever reported to the Police?
4) Is there any comments from the Deputy Collector of Customs in Cayman Brac as to what corrective means are now in place to protect the public from other items being stolen again?
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Keep up the good reporting.
Deputy collector COLLECTS his pay at the end of each month,
Acquittal simply means the jury did not consider that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. It means nothing more.
This is not Scotland. The jury verdict means not guilty.
Nope, means exactly the same in England and Cayman. Scotland as the not proven verdict too but that is not the point being made. The jury are asked whether the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. They are not asked whether they think someone did it or did not do it, and a “not guilty” verdict means the accused has not be proven as guilty, it does not mean in fact that they are in fact not guilt.
The verdict is in fact “not guilty” which means exactly what it says. If guilt is not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, then one is not guilty for all purposes and without any further quibbles.
If this isnae Scotland then its bloody crap.
Now can we look into Immigration, I see bartenders on the Brac here for several months and still can’t speak English, who did they’re English test?
They’re English test? Clearly not you! lol
Grocery store clerks
Gas station attendants
It is pervasive
Who did you’re(sic) English test?
See the problem with us? I made one lil mistake on spelling a word and you all more on that than the post witch??/ which is more important, we will never get any better!!!!!!
Yes, but your post was complaining about they’re english skills! How can you justify complaining about someone else when you can’t even do it yourself! Ha ha ha
Their*
And who, Did yore English test?
Must been you ?
You’re
….your
Your is correct
So there are traces of his DNA on the weapon because he handled it? It wasn’t in a evidence bag to prevent contamination with DNA? What kind of circus do they run up there?
The same circus that they run in Grand
They all all tied together.
So who took the gun and put it in the tank? Someone in law enforcement wanted an innocent man to spend many years in prison for something he didn’t do. No one in the Brac will share information with law enforcement until this is investigated and the true criminal put behind bars.
If there are any more guns in the lackadaisical customs unlocked cabinet, I hope they haven’t gone missing as with every Tom Dick and Harry handling them, if they are stolen no-one will ever be convicted.Once again Govt incompetence leads to crimes for which nobody is convicted.
Will the senior management of the customs department in Brac be held responsible for this very serious lapse in security?
You aren’t serious, are you?
They should be but I’m sure that they will not be.
Chuckie needs to clean house in customs in Cayman Brac.
Chuckie is not in charge of Customs in Cayman Brac, the District Commissioner is in charge of Customs in the Brac. Just like the District Commissioner is in charge of Immigration in Cayman Brac.That my people is where the problem lies.
The district commissioner in charge? What a joke.
9;17 pm, you are 100 % correct, The Brac needs to clean house starting at the top. Chuckie please take charge of the Brac Custom dept.
Don’t trouble him, he need drive up and down all day getting food for him and the gal that he always driving with
Hey, they busy all day complaining on facebook not there fault
Only in the CYB does this circus happen, well I guess it does in Grand as well albeit not as noticeable due to the large population. There is serious issues though with the language spoken here and it does ponder the question “who is administering the English test”? Case in point, I asked for a screwdriver (drink)at a local bar and got a wrench instead. SMILE….
A screwdriver? Was it a gay bar?
They wont be held accountable because they are PROTECTED. From the top to the bottom in nearly all government offices in the Brac there is corruption. They do what they want, when they want. When the boss does not have to show to work why should anyone else.
Now is a good time to talk about Admin staff half hour late every day
My son was working as an intern at District Admin and I wanted to make sure that he was on time. He said, “mummy you taking me too early. Nobody in my department is there before 9:00 am.” I was not happy because I’m trying to teach my son good work ethic to be to work on time and his boss is setting a bad example being there 1/2 hour late.
It’s not true that the admin staff are late everyday, some workdays they don’t show up at all.
“We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.”
Konstantin Jireček
Why was the weapon not destroyed after it was seized? Unless someone has a permit to import the weapon there is no legitimate reason for its existence, except for an ongoing court matter.
Once again, for a jurisdiction that claims to be law and order with very harsh penalties for possession of a weapon, the system does not seem to be working.
Glad to hear that this young man was acquitted. He was one of the few active customs officers. Welcome back Anthony.
So. According to the defendant.
The Cayman Brac Airport, which is approved as an International Airport, has serious lapses in security and protocol, to the point that illegal firearms come and go, and people can enter and wander around secure areas at whim. CIAA care to comment or they can’t.
So that means that they should lose their International Airport Status, right.
It also means the security officers there should all lose there jobs, right.
It should also stand to reason the anyone with responsabilty for the airport, CAA and Distric Admin, need to be held accountable and penalized. Right.
It also means that all the Customs officers and the one Police Officer need to be HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND PENALIZED TOO, if not fired. Right.
The DPP office never even attempted to rebutt the defense. So it must be all true.
Wait till the International news agencies and terrorists get ahold of this.
FOX and CNN forwarded.
Whilst I agree with your concern, seems like your drive is because you have an axe to grind and not because you care.
That individual is just one of the typical. bitter anti-Caymanian heroes that lurk on CNS 24/7.
By his logic, a few international airports in the USA should also be closed down and lose their status – considering the number of ammunition and firearms that seem to unwittingly make their way here in American baggage.
Too many haters, not enough time.
Anonymous 10:17 am , I think that Say What is gotcha even if you think he has an axe to grind . When your Airport is an International Airport , you have the obligations to keep up the international safety standards of rules . No exceptions should be made because it is the Brac . He is right that heads should roll when no one is not doing their jobs to keep up those standards .
Where are u getting your info. The customs office that he is talking about is not at the airport so why are talking about airport losing international status. Please get your facts straight before talking.
Anonymous 12:37 pm , what makes up the border control of the Islands ? If you don’t know , it is Immigration and Custom . So what does it matters where the part of Custom are located, it was a Custom Officer that committed it , it is a part of who is responsible for up holding the agreement .
If this came in via the airport it came in from another airport, and CYB isn’t the only one who should be scrutinizing their procedure.
It is better that 100 guilty persons escape custody than for 1 innocent man to go behind bars.
THE JURY DID THE RIGHT THING ??
Umm, okay then.