Killer brothers appeal to come home from UK jail

| 02/02/2022 | 43 Comments
Cayman News Service
Justin Ramoon (far left) and Osbourne Douglas escorted by prison officers in 2016 as the court visits the scene of Jason Powery’s murder

(CNS): Osbourne Douglas and Justin Ramoon, who are both in British jails serving life sentences for the 2015 gang murder of Jason Powery, have filed a legal appeal to serve their time back here in the Cayman Islands. The case was heard by the appeal court in a special sitting last month when the two men, who are brothers, argued that the reasons for their transfer to the UK prison system have never been properly scrutinized by a court as the information has been kept secret. Douglas and Ramoon were sent to the UK as the local authorities claimed the men were planning a jailbreak from HMP Northward.

After their conviction and subsequent sentencing, the brothers began serving their life terms in the maximum-security wing at the prison.

But in June 2017 Douglas, the older of the two brothers, was transferred to Belmarsh Prison, a maximum-security facility on the outskirts of London. One week later Ramoon was also transferred to the same prison.

CNS understands that since then the brothers have been sent to separate facilities in different parts of the UK. However, both have spent the last five years trying to return to their native Cayman Islands, where they have strong family ties.

Lawyers representing the brothers have argued that moving them to the UK was a breach of their human rights, not only because it prevents them from staying in touch with their families but because the information that led to the transfer has never been presented to them.

But the crown has consistently claimed that national security concerns override any requirement for the brothers to see the evidence of their alleged planned escape. As a result they have not had the chance to refute the allegations.

With no laws in the Cayman Islands to facilitate a closed-door trial or appeal for the brothers’ case to be aired in full, the credibility of the evidence suggesting they were planning a prison bust has never been challenged.

The crown has nevertheless argued that the evidence is solid and has been reviewed and approved by the UK authorities, including the foreign secretary and the Cayman Islands governor, the police commissioner and the prison director.

The case was adjourned last week to give the Court of Appeal time to consider its verdict and the possibility of arranging a special sitting, where under the Bill of Rights, the judges could get to see the material supporting the transfer.

A Closed Material Procedure would allow the appeal court to address the validity of the sensitive information, though the brothers and their attorneys would still be excluded from seeing the evidence.


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Category: Crime, Prison

Comments (43)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    So the UK Prison is not a bed of roses compared to Hotel Northward…..Tek dat, tek it, tek it real good!. You obviously made your bed, now lie in it. As far as anyone advocating for their return, send them up there too because they obviously have the same mindset.

  2. Deborah says:

    If they wanted to see there families they should law,a biding citizen’s

  3. Anonymous says:

    We don’t want them but after the AG report a few more need to join them

    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t think there is room. Jail seems quite full. Probably the only government run facility that does whats its supposed to.

  4. Matt says:

    Why is the UK housing them? Is it paid for by CI or UK Government?
    We have enough of our own scumbags in jail in the UK. They should rot in a Caymanian prison.
    Most on here shouting that they should stay in the UK are the same voices clamouring for Independence – a little hypocritical.
    (PS The UK taxpayers would neither notice or care if Cayman did become independent).

    • Anonymous says:

      The UK is housing them because they are incredibly dangerous and vile individuals and previous attempts were made by their equally vile friends and family to break them out using firearms. Cayman is safer with them abroad. let them rot over there.

    • Anonymous says:

      “Most on here shouting that they should stay in the UK are the same voices clamouring for Independence – a little hypocritical.”

      Why do ppl make goofy statements like this? Did you do a survey on all the anonymous commenters? Cut the malarkey. You literally imagined some hypocrisy and tried to make it seem like you’ve actually witnessed it. That’s just weird. Who does that?

    • Nick says:

      The reason the UK is housing them is that the UK enacted Legislation that said if you have a dangerous prisoner in an overseas territory that we the UK are responsible for you can send the prisoner in question to the UK.
      The Cayman Islands are not an independent country but a Devolved Territory, similar to Scotland and Wales. Interesting FACT, all prisoners sent overseas are funded by the Overseas Territory, so the UK taxpayer does not foot the bill. The prisoners in question are also UK Citizens!! The amazing thing about being a true Caymanian, we have both British Citizens since birth, and British Overseas Territories citizenship, duality!!

      • Anonymous says:

        And it took 15 years + having to buy a property to be granted status and citizenship and still not treated as an equal citizen.

    • Anonymous says:

      And with your mindset, your type would be the first with a one way ticket out of here if you see the foolishness that happens in Cayman when they are here!!!!!

      And yes, Cayman pays for them to be jailed in the UK.

    • Anonymous says:

      9:52 sez: “Most on here shouting that they should stay in the UK are the same voices clamouring for Independence – a little hypocritical.”
      How the hell does this moron know who is writing what here? Geezus H.! This imbecile’s statement is more than a little silly, it is downright ducking fumb!

  5. anonymous says:

    Friends,let’s be reasonable here. We are a civilized people when all said and done. So keep these murderous thugs locked up, make a key out of a bone, and throw it to a dog.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Just read a Compass article stating that our Gov is providing $25,000 a year to the families to go on a U.K. holiday every year to visit these scumbags.

  7. Anonymous says:

    These guys are international criminals connected to some of the deadliest organized crime groups and gangs in the world! England is not far enough if you ask me!

    • Anonymous says:

      I prefer the idea of sending them to the Gulags in Siberia. If you think the mosquitoes are bad here you have no idea what they are like over there 🙂

  8. Anonymous says:

    I recall Minister Bryan complaining when he was in opposition about these guys being sent away from their families, I wonder if he still feels that way? or has he changed now that he got what he wanted?

    • Anonymous says:

      Minister Bryan should never been a minister, NEVER, and The Premier should NEVER be forgiving for making it possible

      • Anonymous says:

        @9:30pm:
        “The Premier”?
        Premier? Premier?
        We have a Premier?
        Damn! That’s news to me.
        Last I checked all we have is the Clown-in-Chief (CIC)of the Panton PACT-less Clown Car. He was one clown short of a crew so he gave Bryan a red plastic nose and welcomed him on board the clown car. The other clowns welcomed Bryan with screechy gleeful laughs, tweeked each other’s red noses, bobbled their heads, shouted “Vrooom! Vroomm! Vrrooommm!” And headed back off to running in frantic, aimless circles.
        Nothing to forgive the CIC for, just a clown being true to his clown nature. “Beep beep! Vrooomm vorrrrrmm!”

  9. Anonymous says:

    Quote: Lawyers representing the brothers have argued that moving them to the UK was a breach of their human rights, not only because it prevents them from staying in touch with their families….

    And we all feel so sorry for them Lol.

    Does this mean that these “Bad Boys” are really Mama Boys? Forget them, next.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Awww.. they are poor little babies now in the real world!

  11. Anonymous says:

    Ask their families whether they really want them back. You might be surprised.

  12. Anonymous says:

    If they survive swimming back from the UK we will take them.

  13. Anonymous says:

    It appears that the rulers of the Cayman Islands are more interesting in providing killers of citizens with care and protection than they are protecting the citizens. Cayman needs to enact the death penalty.

    • Anonymous says:

      Agree until last sentence.

    • Anonymous says:

      There is still the death penalty, technically, for treason and espionage. However, when David Ballentine (the former Attorney General) turned out to be MI-6, former Governor Dinwity thanked him for his “long serve to the Cayman Islands”. We should have hung both Ballentine and Brian Gibbs, who was also here to sabotage the Cayman Islands.

  14. Anonymous says:

    I think that since the UK unilaterally decided to prohibit us from executing dangerous murderers, maybe they should take all of our lifers. That’s only fair, no?

  15. Anonymous says:

    Well let the parents/family pay for them in Cayman, not the UK taxpayers who have more than enough tax to pay!

  16. Anonymous says:

    Ci govt would be as fool as ‘jonny be good to me’ if they let them back anywhere near the Caribbean sea.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Keep them there. Just really bad people.

  18. Anonymous says:

    So, government, when is the Closed Material Procedure Bill going to be worked on, now that the need for one has been identified?

  19. Anonymous says:

    Leave them where they are!

    Need to send a few more to join them as well.

  20. Say it like it is says:

    Next time round it will be the Privy Council by which time the taxpayer will have spent a quarter of a million dollars on appeals and travel expenses for these murderers. How much was spent on the victim’s relatives?.

  21. Anonymous says:

    Throw away the keys.

  22. Anonymous says:

    They should have thought about there crimes before & now they want to come home, LEAVE THEM THERE AMONG THE WOLVES!!BRACKA.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Leave them at Belmarsh in a real prison!

  24. Anonymous says:

    Jason doesn’t get to see his family ever again. Nor should they.

    If you execute someone you are supposed to lose ALL privileges.

    Point. Blank. Period.

  25. Anonymous says:

    What about Jasons human rights? F’k them…let them rot over there…

  26. Anonymous says:

    The man they murdered won’t ever see his family again either. Throw away the key.

  27. Anonymous says:

    Tough guys can’t handle a bit of reality biting?

    Idiot thugs.

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