CMR owner faces more criminal charges

(CNS): Prosecutors are pursuing new criminal charges against the owner of the Cayman Marl Road website for complaints about the site that would normally be handled through the civil court. Using criminal laws instead, the crown has charged Sandra Hill (47) with disorderly conduct in connection with her on-the-spot reporting over a West Bay land dispute and harassment in relation to posts on the website accusing someone of abusing the immigration law.

Hill appeared in Summary Court this week and pleaded not guilty to both charges. The CMR owner was unrepresented and has told CNS that she believes she will represent herself in this case, which is expected to go to trial in the lower court, though a date has not yet been set.

The first matter, which involves a charge of disorderly conduct, stems from a series of interactions between Hill and the complainant, Wilson Mendoza, which date back to July 2019.

The crown alleges in the charges that Hill threateningly used abusive language to provoke a breach of the peace when she was reporting on a well documented land access case between the former health minister, Mike Adam, and his neighbour, Wilson Mendoza, who began preventing Adam from getting to his home last summer.

The charge of harassment and using an ITC network to abuse relates to posts and podcasts published on Marl Road about Eddra Forbes-Dilbert in November in which Hill accused her of bending Cayman’s immigration system to enter the country using an alleged illness.

After denying the charges, Hill was bailed until 17 September for her next appearance.