Bank robbery mastermind stays in jail
(CNS): There was no reprieve for David Tamasa this time around after the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal upheld his conviction for armed bank robbery. Tamasa was one of a gang of men convicted of the 2012 daylight heist at the Cayman National Bank for the second time in 2015 after a previous successful appeal on the original conviction in 2014. Tamasa was the only one of the gang who wasn’t at the stick-up to be convicted. The crown’s case was that he was the mastermind behind the largest ever bank robbery in Cayman and the man who supplied the guns.
In this latest appeal his defence team had argued that there was no evidence in the first or second trial to suggest that Tamasa had orchestrated the $500K bank robbery or that he had supplied the gang with the two weapons, which have never been recovered. They claimed the judge should have acquitted Tamasa at the half-way point of the trial and not allowed the case to go before a jury.
The crown’s case against Tamasa hung largely on evidence given by the controversial crown witness, Marlon Dillon, who was labled ‘supergrass’ after he gave evidence against his fellow robbers in the CNB case and a robbery at the offices of the former television company, WestStar, as well as evidence in a murder.
Even though the appeal court said that Dillon had “casually, habitually and instinctively” lied throughout the various trials to reduce his own culpability in the armed heist, the judges found that not everything that Dillon said was a complete fabrication. The appeal court found that the judge was right to allow the case to continue and for the jury to decide, as there was incriminating telephone evidence against Tamasa, who was in constant telephone contact with all of the gang of robbers, including Dillon, both before and immediately after the robbery.
In their judgment the appeal court said that the records largely supported the evidence of Dillon that Tamasa was involved. The judges found that it as not just the number of calls between Tamasa and the robbers that was significant but the timing. The judgment dismissing the appeal pointed out that Tamasa spoke with several of the gang members as they must have been on their way to the crime and he was the first person they called when the escape was bungled.
The appeal court found that the judge had directed the jury properly about the poor quality of Dillon’s evidence but that there was this telephone evidence which the jury had to consider as they indicated they believed the conviction was safe.
Tomasa’s appeal against his 14 year jail term was also rejected. Another one of the robbers, George Mignott, who also appealed his sentence, failed to get his 12 year term reduced.
“Mastermind”
Love it. First time I’ve laughed reading CNS in awhile…
These criminals and their brazen robberies have help dimish and shatter Cayman’s image and reputation as a safe place. Yet very little has been said about just who these robbers are. Also have their fellow countrymen in our law enforcement branches really investigated exactly how many robberies these criminals have done or were involved or link to on this island. Finally where exactly is the rest of the money or where did it go. One of Mr Baines so call claims or advantages for recruiting these so call professional cops from overseas was because they knew how to deal with their fellow citizens. We have yet to see it. All we see is them doing is carrying out the UK’s agenda of divide and rule and intimidating the local population. Yes and to show favoritism to their very own nationals. Because the amount guns and gun related violence and drugs coming from their homelands continues as we speak. So exactly why do we need here anyhow?????
You are truly pathetic, bobo.
oh dear, I think your Cayman Blood Flow stopped from the neck updwards
Yes another bunch that was here for us not a word from the All Caymanians are criminals crowd that constantly get on here lamenting their bias little agenda driven views. The fact is these bastards had been running around here unhindered and carrying out some bold robberies, destroying this islands reputation as a safe place. Had it not been for the incident in the parking lot of the Bank where they were identified I seriously doubt that their fellow countrymen who fill up the ranks of the RCIPS would have caught them. The fact that monies are still outstanding from these robberies is proof of this very fact. So long as it going a yard erry ting is al rite nah so??
Who is Tamasa and where is he from?
I know he na from ya
take that
yeah, “he na from ya”, another person ruining the precious beautiful cayman islands name