Son gets 9½ years for brutal attack on mother
(CNS): In court on Friday, Jeffrey William Powery (39) received a sentence of nine and a half years for a brutal attack on his mother, Jolene Powery (57 at the time), at their West Bay home in December 2018. Powery had left his mother for dead after beating her into a coma when his undiagnosed but very serious mental health problem spiralled out of control. He was arrested shortly after his mother was found by the police.
The delay between Powery’s arrest and the sentencing was largely due to challenges surrounding the psychiatric reports and his eventual diagnosis.
As she delivered her sentencing ruling, Justice Cherryll Richards said she was satisfied that Powery’s mental health disorder had affected his judgement and ability to make rational choices at the time. She also accepted that he was unaware of the extent of his problems.
The judge said the case called for a departure from the sentencing guidelines. However, the “extreme nature of the brutal attack” could not be ignored, she said, as she explained how she arrived at a sentence of 14 years and then reduced that time by one-third for Powery’s admissions of guilt, with time served to be taken into consideration.
She ordered that he must continue supervised treatment for his mental health conditions while in prison.
Jolene Powery remains permanently impacted by the attack and requires round-the-clock care. She suffered head trauma and a serious brain injury with no prospect of improvement.
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20 years would be about right. It would he nice to have an institution for hm but you have to work with what you have. The rest of us deserve protection too.
Though Jeffery is a “grown man” with mental health issues, it is quite possible none of this was detected before or was onset until he was in his adult years and so there may have been no indication that he was suffering any of this from he was a minor. If he had experienced any signs that he suffered from this issue before he reached adulthood, who now would’ve been sure he got the help he needed….certainly not all that is saying ‘lock him up for much longer” or those that walk with their heads held up or turned the other way ignoring they exist or those that vote every election for the same (or kind of) people who are only there for what the voters & politicians can get out of it. Some say “drugs” turned him that way, meaning it was his choice to abuse illicit drugs, but before you cast that stone at him, check the side effects of the many prescribed meds these days that can cause mental/emotional problems or other side effects that could bring on mental/emotional breakdowns. As well there are lots that happen that can lead to someone having mental/emotional health issues though they were of sound mind before the trauma or damage took place. Remember we are all human beings and are susceptible to anything that affects another….mental/emotional health issues are one of these. I pray for him and his mother, for the CI Gov’t, Mental health staff and all the sufferers of the mental health issues, they all need a miracle to happen for them in different ways. There are too many that are not cared for by those who have the authority to make things better for them as well as all of those who just point fingers, cast blame, turn your head and ignore them or curse them, run them, threaten them and make fun of them. There seem to be so much more care and help for the animals in this small island country than for our fellow man. Far more other crimes are committed daily to these persons than by them, yet I can’t see that many running down those who allow them to happen. Take note: today it is the persons with diagnosed mental health issues, tomorrow it could be any of us that is affected directly or indirectly with such…what have you done to prevent this abuse or lack of treatment happening…what will you do if it were to happen to you or one of your loved ones???
I used to work with Jeffrey at Maples many years ago. Back then, he seemed like a good kid, eager to learn, engaging, likeable. I don’t know what happened to him between then and now, but it’s a far cry from the person I knew.
Some of the comments here lack sympathy for the whole picture.
Cayman is a very small community, and the Caymanian community is even smaller. Mental illness, addiction, these things could happen to a family member or a friend. Lets not be so quick to throw our fellow citizens out with the trash. We need a real solution when mental illness and addiction happens. This affects us all.
2 years of intensive treatment followed by a community supervision order for 3 years would suffice. 9 1/2 seems excessive without proper treatment.
There are many many more walking around with mental health problems and nothing is being done about it, other parts of the world are doing something about it and being proactive. Cayman just ignores and brushes it under the [carpet] tiles like everything else. Those women that know and are harbouring their males need to wake up! They need to be charged too! God Bless this lady.
His MUM ? I have no words
And he went for lunch with his dad the next day like nothing happened. He is either mentally ill or a psychopath.
9.5 years really judge? He should have been give no less that 20 years without a day less. His mother is left as a handicap now. He cry and act mental so he could get less time. Drugs was what had him so high and he beat her so bad and left her to died and you all talking about mental. Honor your mother so that your days will be long on the land and that you didn’t do!
#therepublic
Drugs are a serious problem in Cayman Islands but the government does not take it serious.Need much stiffer laws for drug dealers.
Supervised professional treatment in there? How that gonna work?
Junior, right on! – he needs to be in a long term mental health hospital. Treatment whilst in prison is not going to achieve anything and he may well prove to be a danger to other prisoners.
Except of course we don’t have such a facility.
As a people / small Island Nation, and a wealthy one at that, our care / education to meet the needs for mental health, remains much too low.
what a crazy story and very sad to see that this young man was failed by the Cayman government and his parents. there needs to be a system in place at government schools to help these children that show these signs early. we pay insane amounts to teachers that are mostly illiterate or way too religious and nothing comes about for these kids’ education.
This guy is almost 40 years old. He’s far from a school aged child.
Hence why he was failed by the CIG and his parents in the first place as a kid.
There had to come a time when each person must say “I made my own choices” regardless of who “failed” them in the past. Read the book A Child Called It. If ever a person was failed the child it speaks of was. That boy grew into a man and did not let his past define him. We must each take responsibility for ourselves and stop trying to pass the blame.
While I agree, I must also say that no child is the same. I will get that book and read it…maybe his surroundings and environment was better that this man’s was. This was a horrible thing to happen 😕
Bayers, enough said.
What on earth does this comment mean ? West Bayer to be bone.
explain, please… cause I recall an East Ender did something to his father …
Your comment is so bigotted and prejudice. I am guessing that this kind of thing never happened any place else in the World or Cayman for that matter. At least in West Bay crimes committed can be solved and the true perpetrators caught. There are many more crimes committed in the rest of the Cayman Islands that I can bet you would not help to solve if you had the answers to because you would rather to type some stupid remarks. Please remember that a mental health issue can befall anyone at any time, as there are many contributors to the stability of our emotional and mental health! Take this into consideration before you make comments that are utterly foolish and make you look like a “crazy/mad person” who could be a threat to “Bayers” or anyone else for that matter!!
Government need to get serious about Drug pushers ASAP. Drugs are ruining many young people.
Any Caymanians who still talk about West Bay and “Bayers” in a bad light are genuinely challenged and probably so far behind their peers that it’s not funny. The world has no clue about West Bay or East End, and the real estate prices prove it. Grow Up!
I’m at a loss for words