Son left mother for dead after psychotic episode
(CNS): Jeffrey William Powery (39) appeared in court Friday for a long overdue sentencing hearing following his conviction for GBH wounding with intent in relation to a brutal attack on his mother in December 2018. Powery had left Jolene Powery for dead after beating her into a coma at her home in West Bay when his undiagnosed but very serious mental health problem spiralled out of control.
Powery has been on remand at HMP Northward for well over four years, but a catalogue of mental health issues delayed the sentencing hearing. During his appearance via video link from prison, the court heard that Powery, who is now on medication, is still “a very unwell man” and suffers from psychosis and bipolar disorder.
As the crown set out its case against him, the court heard how he had become increasingly violent towards his mother in the build-up to the attack and how his behaviour had spiralled out of control. His reported conversations with neighbours and family revealed his “grossly delusional thoughts” at the time, which led to a manic episode.
On the night of the extremely violent attack, he had gone to his mother’s home, and neighbours heard them arguing. Powery is believed to have beaten his mother about the head with a rock and left her in a pool of her own blood. About 24 hours later, after people had raised the alarm, police officers entered the house and found her unconscious as a result of massive head trauma.
Although Jolene Powery, who was 57 years old at the time, survived, she is debilitated. The court heard that she currently resides at the Pines Retirement Home, where she requires round-the-clock care, having suffered life-changing injuries that required numerous surgeries to remove parts of her brain.
The prosecutor told the court that Powery had shown a “callous disregard for his mother when he left her unconscious, with a “casual indifference to whether she lived or died”. He said Powery had spent the following day having lunch with his father and updating his resume at the George Town Library, saying nothing to anyone while his mother lay in a coma where he had left her the night before.
But Powery’s defence attorney told the court that the case had to be “viewed through the prism of his mental health condition. He described his client as extremely remorseful and said that he still loves his mother very deeply. He said this was a tragic incident and that Powery’s crime had to be considered against the backdrop of his serious illness.
According to mental health reports, Powery has suffered from his conditions for well over a decade. He was suffering from numerous psychoses for many years before the crime but was not really aware of his deteriorating and serious problems. He believed he was becoming “stressed” at the time because of financial difficulties.
But this lack of diagnosis and treatment had made Powery’s symptoms much worse, according to the doctors who evaluated him. Self-medicating with liquor and drugs, Powery had begun behaving out of character sometime before the brutal and prolonged attack on his mother, which happened as his delusional state and bipolar disorder spiralled out of control.
Sometime before the violent episode, he had quit a very good job. He had also started to become violent towards his wife and engaging in impulsive high-risk behaviour, such as stealing his friends’ cars and shoplifting, as well as beating up his mother on several previous occasions.
The attack was a manifestation of his severe mental health disorder, his attorney said as he outlined his client’s circumstances. He said this was not an excuse for the horrific violence but was an explanation that had to be considered when the court ruled on how long Powery will serve behind bars.
Justice Cheryll Richards, who presided over the hearing, adjourned the case to give herself time to consider all of the information about the case. She will deliver a sentencing ruling on 25 August.
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Jeffrey lived in our home for many years. He was a very kind and respectful child and even in his teen years he was respectful. He left our home after his graduation from High School and returned to his mother. I was shocked and heartbroken when I heard of the altercation he had with Jolene. This was not the Jeffrey I knew. They say use of drugs alters the thinking part of the brain and it is my belief that this proved true in this case.
Such a sad ending to what should have been a great life for Jeffrey. This is what happens when the use of alcohol and drugs become regular use. The Jeffrey I knew was always a kind and responsible young man. He was able to obtain a good job and had everything going for him. It breaks my heart to read this as he is not the same man that I knew and still love. My prayer for Jeffrey is that he is successful in rehabilitation and
can once again join society as the man he was meant to be.
This is a very sad case of a family. Why did the police take some 24hrs to respond?
The mother obviously was struggling as well for years and did not get her own issues resolved and passed her methods of self-help through substance abuse down to the son. Where is our community interventions to educate our people that praying alone is a form of meditation and has its place but will not resolve all issues, and that deeper medical treatment may be required. Why don’t the pastors preach about this aspect more frequently. Gone are the days when we only had pastors to counsel and help with family problems.
This case reminds me of the case in Northside a few years ago who killed his father. If only someone had intervened things would have turned out much differently. Sometimes it is worth getting in others business in situations like this and at least contact the authorities. After all we should be our brothers/sisters/fathers keeper.
I just want the rest of us to be protected from him. Sounds like we will need it.
This is such sad case ..
Jolene is such a sweet person.
very tragic indeed.
This is a very sad story and I hope that our Caymanian society, and especially those voted to elected office, will take pause and seriously consider how the mentally ill and their families have been ignored and left behind in our homeland. Drug addiction is usually a “byproduct” of mental illness as the person struggles to cope. These islands that boast affluence and allow greedy politicians to be wasting our money building roads, that will not solve traffic issues, and other bandaid projects, need to be made redirect those funds to meet the the REAL needs of our people, of which our mentally ill are a major part. It is indeed a disgrace that the mentally ill are left to spiral out of control and cause harm to themselves and to others, as was the case in this instance. There is no excuse for this astronomical failure in our society. None.
Yes, having a mental health issue, not knowing that was what he had, but as a very smart intelligent well mannered and groomed young man, taking “HARD DRUGS” and not knowing the consequences or effects of those drugs, mixed with,Alcohol, that is lethal and deadly for some ppl, when they do not even know what they are feeling or going through and as someone who personally knows both mother & son, this is not just a oneside issue, as her son he did not like to see or find his mother drunk or high, and sometimes children, try to challenge their parents to not embarrass them (as many times she would say if I seen her in certain company or at a certain place she would ask, the time and ask for a lift, as she wanted to get home, so that her son would not see or find her out and drunk, and i would always say then why are you doing that, you need to stop this too, because same as we try to keep our kids straight, then our kids can try to keep us straight too) and to try to get into another past time but socializing with the company that drinks n smokes daily, and so it is just like how parents try to scold an adult child but getting no where, then one day one “SNAPS” especially if starting to use “heavy drugs” and having a”Mental Undiagnosed Issue” then one can and will surely “SNAP” not intentionally, but then what happened, just took a youngman from a very longtime employment with a professional job of over 15+years to becoming a 4+ years prisoner, and yes he is remorseful, as his precious mother lies in a bed under the care of someone else, but not even knowing what had happened to her and who caused it…
This is a very sad incident, because of her age now just 62 with the rest of her life under the care of someone else, and her only child who I am sure if not “HEAVILY DRUGGED UP and with an UNDIAGNOSED MENTAL ISSUE”, I am sure this crime would not have been committed, this youngman has already spent years, in a prison for over 4+ years and now just getting sentenced, so what has happened, can’t be reversed, but now I pray that whatever the Judge orders, she will put a part of sentencing that for the rest of his mother’s life he, has to go and visit his mother seek forgiveness, “BUT FEED HER FOR 1 OR 2 OF HER MEALS DAILY”.. I am sure Jeffery does not know how injured his precious mother has been, and that it was caused by his own hands….
So trust that the ruling Judge will when placing her sentences on this case, she will consider everything about this one of a kind incident and ask “GOD” for his help and guidance but that this mother and son will be able to have closure and forgiveness to each other…
Unfortunately treating the mentally ill has never been a priority for our Governments. Mental Health or Human Services are generally not money making entities therefore not a priority for the powers that be. So sad really. Cayman has so many diagnosed and undiagnosed mentally ill and/or addicted patients but no one but the families seem to care. We’re still waiting on a Mental Health Facility, imagine that and it’s 2023. So very sad for our Country and its people.
I used to work with Jeffery at a financial services firm some years ago. He was a good looking young man, smartly dressed, always courteous, hard working, ready to assist, and well liked among his colleagues. It is hard to believe this is the same man.
this is what drugs will do. Defence attorneys are just looking the shortest time and best outlook for their clients to say they did their best or won some points of the case so they are claiming mental health problems for everything. This is a case of drug abuse. If he gets away under “mental health issues” he will be back on the streets before Christmas.
If you listened closely to CMR this morning and listened closely to the bitter jealous caller you will agree that mental health is a serious issue.
I worked with Jeffrey many years ago and at that time he seemed on his way to having a successful career in finance. He was eager to learn and benefited from having a number of young Caymanian professionals around him every day to help guide him. He was always very respectful and polite and a bit of a jokester. I did not witness his deterioration, so I can’t speak to that. In my mind however, if he was struggling with mental illness, the suggestion by his lawyer that he self-medicated with drugs and alcohol to cope with his mental illness makes sense. When I knew him, he was nowhere near the person he appears to have become.
Mental illness is real and this is a real tragedy that has destroyed a family. I hope he gets the help that he needs.
Drugs then mental illness.
Kids, don’t take drugs!
Just another day in the Republic
such a stupid comment.
So tired of ppl using mental health as an excuse to get off. It’s an insult to persons who really struggle with mental health issues.
Are you a Mental Health Professional? How do you know it is not true?
Anon @5:57 Sounds like you are mentally challenged in a different way! Undiagnosed, untreated mental health is exactly what gets one ” off ” as you put it off.
He’s also not using this “excuse” to “get off”. He’s been in remand for 4 years. I pray that being in prison has brought opportunity for treatment for his mental health.
You mean people really struggling with mental health issues such that they half beat heir mother to death and then go to lunch and the library the following day as if nothing happened? Love to see your qualified medical opinion on what constitutes real metal health issues if that doesn’t qualify.
That alone should tell you. No normal person does that. Further, those that have known the guy can say this is certainly not the person they knew.
It is sad. After so many incidents one would think that something could have been done to assist this man. Sounds like there was no one who really cared about him or his mother.
Of course you have to have a mental illness to try and kill your own mother. I like how he starts working on his resume the following day. Throw the idiot in jail.
Not to worry he will be placed at the mulit million dollar mental facility in East End. Unsecured, unsupervised and only on medication. Help us make sense of this madness.
Because throwing him in jail will really address the underlying illness. Got it.
Very sad indeed