CICA: Police ‘entitled to protection’ from gunmen
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal found that a judge who had added four years to a ten-year sentence handed to one of two robbers who shot at police officers as they tried to escape was entitled to do so because it was a separate crime. The higher court refused an appeal last week by Odain Ebanks, who had claimed that his sentences for a 2018 armed robbery should have been concurrent.
The panel of judges said that when Ebanks’ co-defendant shot at the officers who were in pursuit of the armed men following a robbery at the Czech Inn in Bodden some five years ago, it was not “part and parcel of the original offence”.
The court said, “Police officers are entitled to the protection of the courts as they perform their lawful duties.” It was also “well established that if an offender commits a further offence in the course of trying to escape arrest, the sentence for such offence should normally be consecutive to that imposed for the original offence. It is not part and parcel of the original offence. It is a separate offence committed for the separate purpose of trying to evade capture.”
The judges said that in Ebanks’ case, the attempt to evade arrest could hardly have been more serious. “It involved shooting at the police officers, thereby putting their lives at risk. The idea that there should be no extra penalty for behaving in such a manner is astonishing. The applicant was fortunate not to have faced a more serious charge with a higher maximum sentence than the offence actually charged.”
Although Ebanks did not pull the trigger, he was part of a joint criminal enterprise and was sentenced on that basis. The appeal court judges said that adding the four-year sentence for shooting at the officers was “absolutely correct” and he could not have complained if the overall sentence of 14 years had been even higher when Justice Marlene Carter made her ruling in January 2019.
The second robber has never been identified or charged in this case.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Entitled is Cayman
We all know what the horrible enviroment and upbringing did to Odain, let us focus on rehabilitating him.
No, we don’t all know what happened to him. Please inform us. But it is no excuse for his heinous actions.
How could we all possibly know? I don’t know.
Not grinning now O dain doing the time for da crime mi Boy ! See ya don’t want to be ya !
If he wanted less time he should probably have named names.
Blacks?
There are many “Blacks” – investigate anyone?
Blacks on rollover. Probably Buju.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Enjoy your time in jail thug
LOL. Would have been hilarious if CICA increased the sentence! Can they do that? – may deter a lot of these hopeless appeals. As it is the convicted has nothing to lose – he’s not paying the lawyers – we are!
Who’s the gangsta now?
More like this please. As well as longer sentences.
Add another 2 years for the stupid hat.
Don’t that dunce look fly?
Slay, yo!
The judges occasionally do something serious about crime. This is one such time Keep it up.
Little waste boy thief upset he got caught and is facing justice?
Awww, poor baby. Too bad. You wanna be a big shot bad man? Do the time like one.
Exactly … big Fish crying down the prison. Tek ya liks lmao
He should have been given 10 more years for not identifying his partner in crime! Do not waste anymore of our money on him.