Cashless bank robbery suspects walk free
(CNS): Richard Andre Scott and Mark Alexander Beckett were acquitted on all charges of robbery, attempted robbery and possession of an imitation gun in connection with a stick-up at the cashless branch of Scotiabank in Grand Harbour last June. The crown had contended throughout its case that the circumstantial evidence against the men from CCTV footage and DNA was very strong, even though there was no direct identification of either man. But the jury disagreed and found both men not guilty.
The two robbers were tracked from a residence in Crewe Road, George Town, all the way to the bank, located at the Hurley’s Roundabout, where they took cash from a woman who had used the ATM. They were unable to get more since this bank does not hold cash. After the hold-up, in which the armed men terrorised the woman, they were chased by her husband.
Scott was caught by the husband, but he claimed he was not the robber but had simply been riding his bicycle by at the same time.
During the seven-week trial, the jury was taken through hours of CCTV footage, piecing together what the crown said was clear evidence against the men who were in the dock. Prosecutors also said the defendants were connected to the crime via their clothes and the DNA that was on the bike that police recovered.
However, despite the arguments put forward by Kenneth Ferguson, the senior counsel who prosecuted the case, about the number of coincidences that would have to have occurred for the men not to be guilty, defence attorneys Stacy-Ann Kelly and Keith Myers, who represented the two suspects, were able to persuade the jury that there was doubt over the identity of the robbers.
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Are we like America now where some democrat states simply let hardened criminals go? This verdict is totally disgusting and unfair to society!
Cayman must love crime,so sad what expats did to us.
Keep you American politics out of Cayman.
Trump supporting num nut.
I think it’s time we found Blacks. He must have been one, or both, of the perpetrators.
Terrible Jury verdict, hopefully not to ever pick that lot again. That was a slam dunk case
I don’t know about this case but I’ve served on juries which, after good instruction, had no choice but to acquit accused because of mainly, poor police evidence and testimony under cross.
Poorly prosecuted case by DPP.
Jury trial doesn’t work in a place as small as Cayman. Judge-only is the way forward.
I agree, but that is a sad commentary for Cayman.
Robber of a Cashless Bank receives a Timeless prison sentence lol
Did you read the court reports lol. Let’s forget the guy being pursed and knocked of his bike by someone at the scene. Let’s forget the DNA. Yeah it’s because the defence had Johnnie Cochran acting for them. That’s the most plausible answer.
or perhaps. just perhaps jury intimidation was employed as was mentioned on CMR.
Maybe the gloves didn’t fit.
Third world cops dealing with third world criminals, aided by Jamanians/Caymaicans selling out….Welcome Come to Cay-maicaia…….
Cayman justice = No justice
Acquitted by a jury composed entirely of Caymanians. Can’t blame the police or the judiciary for this one.
Have any of you people stopped to think that maybe, perhaps, there is an ever so small chance that rather than the police being inept, or the prosecutor being inept, or the jury being inept (or corrupted, or threatened) this is a result of 2 very good defense lawyers making the argument that the identification of the perpetrators (cctv footage, wearing masks etc) was unclear enough that it did not meet the threshold for conviction. Every time you lose is it because you’re an idiot or because someone was better?
No.
Don’t be so bloody stupid.
Caught red handed and still walked free. The decenting jurors should hang their heads in shame. Unbelievable!
No Law and Order and No Order in Law! Cayman Today Folks!
Hahahahahahaha i am still laughing because that is all you can do here now. This article list so many offenses that even the prosecution should be charged for neglecting to stop crime from being committed during the trial..But seriously look at our leadership including the UK’s Not worried hostile environment governor I don’t know about you but her tough talk must have the criminal element here shaking in their booths from the laughter and platitudes about crime.As for our political leadership from the last election who are a total waste of space and are totally indifferent to our dire criminal situation. which now threatens to make this a full parish of Jamaica with a state of emergency status to bout.Yet the same political rats scurry around nibbling and gorging themselves to death with the wealth of our economy treating us and that like pawns in a game of monopoly. Not care in the world for them going with flow whilst the government and island sinks in to criminal fail state and quagmire with no solution site.
It should have been declared a mistrial.
This is one of the biggest problems with crime in this country! Police and prosecutors work hard to bring criminals to court, and our own all Caymanian juries just let criminals walk!! Jurors become either soft hearted or chickenshit. I was on a jury a years ago and despite overwhelming evidence against the accused, all you could hear in the jury room was “oh, what will happen to his children if he goes to jail?” or “I used to work with him and I feel bad for the family” or anything else they could think of excuse his criminal behavior. When are we going to stop this foolishness Caymanians?? The same knuckleheads that you let walk now will be the same ones breaking into your house next week, or sticking a gun in your face at the ATM! Unna need to stop being so damn fraid to convict criminals!
OR MAYBE… the police and prosecutors are SHIT and don’t compile and present evidence to the jury properly.
Maybe because someone that knows the accused or used to work with them, isn’t allowed to serve on that jury. If you are serving on a tainted jury, you too have a duty to say something before it’s a mistrial!
@1:58 agree 100%. I’ve served on a few juries and encountered the same frustration. It’s amazing how ignorant some jurors can be.
Totally a shame of what Cayman has come to disgusted with those who job it’s is to not let this happen to Cayman UK giving us more autonomy from what exactly ?
What a failure of our justice system!
Please tell me that we can still deport both of them ASAP, or at the very least whomever holds their permits – GO IN AND CANCEL THEM NOW!!! This abuse of our immigration system needs to stop, and now.
Forget it. It’s over. Cayman is now a safehaven for criminals who face few, if any consequences for their violent crimes. I warned all of you about not privatizing the prison system. This is the result you get when you go easy on crime. What a wasted opportunity to show Cayman is for law an order… now we know better than to waste our time an money here.
Just look at the politicians, would you expect any better?
Privatisation of the prison? we already can venture to say that the CI is the employer for Jamaican national (status or work permit holders) so if you can make money by increasing number of prisoners, what do you think will happen? Increase crime, increase in unfair discrimination, lack of proper representation so more injustices… not a good idea, or we will have more of that manipulative tactic, create the problem then offer the solution, approach.
Appeal
The Crown cant appeal an acquittal under English law. The can push for a retrial only if new and compelling evidence comes to light.
Like being caught red-handed isn’t compelling enough. SMH.
@12:03:
Compelling, perhaps…
But that is not new evidence.
Like …evidence of jury intimidation?
WOW so 2 known criminals back on the street to terrorize us some more… Merry Christmas to us us!!!
That always was the intention.
This is pathetic.
Brilliant. Just brilliant. Lmao
This will not get better, because we are watching passively while our lifestyle and culture are crushed. The world is encountering the same thing — an ever-increasing urge toward violence and anger.
The way we grew up, we were discouraged from questioning government; that was tantamount to seditious challenging of the Crown. Times change. We need to change also. We have to stand up, because our government is not going to save us. Only we can do that. We have to stand together against the criminal shitbirds.
Another day another bullshit prosecution on this island. The funding for a 7 week trial will be easily $100k, for a cashless robbery. I wonder if the lawyers applied to have it dropped or the judge to withdraw it – or did they just milk the system knowing it was a weak case.
Something about ‘a hostile environment’ wasn’t it Ms Owen, – remind me.
Pretty hostile environment for law abiding people.
Lie & deny learning from the MP’s before. The students are ready and the teachers are willing, – ‘decency’ is so f***** in the Cayman Islands 😶
Before you angrily react, if suspects weren’t legally represented fully and objectively, consider the possibility that you’d have a lot more innocent people behind bars.
It’s a compromise.
Wtf??????????
Justice is not blind it’s simply does not exist for Caymanians in Cayman? It’s time for Jamaicans to Go Home ! For real Cayman our island is not going to make it If we continue like this ?
Stupid, bribed or terrified jurors. Take your pick. None is acceptable.
Deport these two losers immediately regardless of the joke verdict.
Cayman juries are notoriously blind where justice is concerned.
Evidence? What evidence?
What!?
CMR has some serious allegation’s about threats to lawyers and jurors in this case, which if true surely would render this a mistrial rather than an acquittal? .
How could this happen if witness saw them? Did our highly paid police and prosecution attorneys mess things up? What does Honorable Seymour have to say about this?
Oh my.
So, it’s either a completely inept prosecution, or the police got the wrong people.
If the former, oh dear. If it’s the latter, oh dear!
So, we’ve now either got the most useless prosecutors, or the stupidest perpetrators ever are roaming around free.
The DPP are totally useless. Just as bad as the police if not worse.
Yeah, well we tried getting a competent DPP and that didn’t work out so well. He was hounded out of the job for the racist crime of expecting his staff to do their jobs.