CMR owner will argue human rights abuse in appeal
(CNS): Sandra Hill, the owner of Cayman Marl Road and online talk-show host, has been given leave to appeal a 2020 conviction and to instruct a senior lawyer on legal aid to argue the case. The decision was made Thursday by the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal after its president, Sir John Goldring, said the case raised human rights issues.
Hill is appealing the conviction for the abuse and harassment of Matthew Leslie and a subsequent $3,000 fine. On a podcast in 2019, Hill accused Leslie of being a sexual predator. The crown claimed she had deliberately targeted him and charged her under section 90 of the Information and Communications Technology Act, which was the first time this law was used to prosecute a member of the media in relation to their work.
While the podcast was controversial, Hill said she had styled the show “Surviving Matthew Leslie” on the famous TV mini-series “Surviving R-Kelly”. During the show, she recounted allegations about Leslie by several anonymous women and accused him of being a paedophile.
She reflected on historic allegations that women were sexually abused by police officers back in the 1990s. Leslie was a member of the RCIPS at that time and had left under a cloud as a result of his connection to those cases.
Despite persistent allegations circulating in the community about Leslie, who has run for elected office twice, he has never been convicted of any sexual offences. However, he was exposed on social media for soliciting a prostitute, which derailed his second attempt to win a seat in the Legislative Assembly in 2017.
Hill was convicted following a judge-alone trial before Justice Roger Chapple, who said she was guilty of cyberbullying, “an awful phenomenon”, and that she was not a proper journalist. She is basing her appeal on the grounds that the judge was wrong in law, that her right to freedom of speech was infringed, and that she was wrongfully prosecuted.
The appeal court said the case raised “significant issues” relating to human rights and freedom of speech, and it merited leading counsel to argue the constitutional matters it brought up.
Local defence attorney Amelia Fosuhene told the court she had been instructed by Hill, who had planned to represent herself during her appeal until the appeal judges intervened. She said they planned to instruct UK-based lawyer Sallie Bennet-Jenkins KC once legal aid cleared their application.
Director of Public Prosecutions Simon Davis had planned to defend the appeal on behalf of the crown when Hill was expected to represent herself. However, he told the court that the prosecution would now also be seeking to either instruct leading counsel or another junior.
He did not tell the court why he would no longer be presenting the crown’s case to uphold the conviction. Since arriving in the Cayman Islands to take up the post of DPP, Davis has not litigated a single case in court.
The case has been adjourned, but the date for the court to hear the arguments has not yet been set.
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Human Rights works both ways, might want to tread lightly there.
Legal aid!!????????
She owns a multi million dollar house – actually a duplex that she rents out in the highlands and another house and judging by the way she supports Wayne he is paying her handsomely!!! The breach of human rights is wasting public funds to pay her legal fees!
The fact that she planned to represent herself speaks volumes to the adage suggesting she has a fool for a client.
She is not a real journalist and admits as much herself anytime she’s in hot water she reverts to “we’re a gossip site” to avoid getting in trouble.
Leslie may or may not be a piece of garbage but the reality is she absolutely was being a cyber bully. She prints whatever she wants and says whatever she wants with no repercussions and is never held accountable for her stories.
She’s gotten a tiny bit better but let’s not forget she used to post pictures of dead bodies so their families could find out from instagram instead of some proper channel.
It’s disturbing how much we need CMR, because at the end of the day she’s quickest to print most stories (and often has the most stories to print). But she’s got to be held to a standard.
Do better.
Sandra Hill is a bully. She preys on the weak and behaves like she is holier than though. Her behavior in public is of someone who believes they are above the law, and she treats people absolutely horribly, then calls people out on her show for doing the same. it is a royal shame we glorify this woman, when she is the problem with society
“He did not tell the court why he would no longer be presenting the crown’s case to uphold the conviction. Since arriving in the Cayman Islands to take up the post of DPP, Davis has not litigated a single case in court.”
That sums up all you need to know about the shenanigans of the DPP’s office. The have spent millions on outside counsel to fight cases all while collecting a huge salary from the Cayman Islands government as their legal arm! Make it make sense why Caymanians are not more up in arms about what goes on in the office.
LTD Da Unboozler
What are Sandra Hill’s qualifications as a journalist – she’s just another blogger or influencer.
Can’t we get rid of this stain called Sandra? She is a purveyor of gossip and hate and is by no means a journalist. Maybe it’s time Cayman had a journalist code of conduct…
Sandy will win.
vile individual….for whom karma will catch up with her properly someday.
why does she need legal aid?