Courts
Disabled teen says stabbing was self-defence
(CNS): Renaldo Taylor (19), who is facing charges of wounding his stepfather last June, told police that he stabbed Damian Wellington in self-defence during an angry attack at their North Side home. As Taylor’s trial drew to a close in Grand Court on Tuesday, a jury heard that the teenager, who lost a leg in […]
Scotia refit delay ‘unacceptable’ says CJ
(CNS): The shortage of courtrooms to deal with criminal trials is continuing to cause serious problems for the local judicial system and Chief Justice Anthony Smellie said has called the continued delay on the work needed to refit the old Scotia Building “unacceptable”. Speaking at the opening of the Grand Court this week, the chief […]
Appeal court supports jail for COVID breachers
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal has backed the need to send isolation breachers to jail and stressed that it should “now be clear” to all that breaking COVID-19 regulations here will land you in prison. In written reasons on why the higher court reduced the four month prison sentence handed down by the […]
Foldats takes top job in Summary Courts
(CNS): Valdis Foldats has been appointed chief magistrate following the retirement of Nova Hall. Foldats will take up the top job on the Summary Court bench next month following the internal recruitment by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, which recommended the long-serving magistrate for the job. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie said Foldats is a […]
Wounding conviction lost despite guilty pleas
(CNS): Prosecutors watched a man who had admitted charges of GBH walk free from court recently when a conviction was lost after the crown pushed for the case to go to trial. Geoff Ryan Scott was found not guilty by a judge in November as a result of a legal loophole, even though he stabbed […]
Christmas Eve murder suspect in jail
(CNS): Jashawn Owen Anthony Johnson (20) from Prospect was remanded in custody by Magistrate Valdis Foldats on Tuesday, after making his first appearance in court following a charge for murder. Johnson is accused of killing Michael Aaron Bush (22) from West Bay during a fight outside a nightclub complex in the Strand Plaza in the […]
Bush’s victim was afraid to leave home
(CNS): Details of the fear and intimidation felt by the woman who was assaulted by Speaker McKeeva Bush have been outlined in the magistrate’s sentencing ruling, which Cayman News Service has now obtained and posted in the CNS Library. In a statement, Livia Kwong told investigators that because of who had assaulted her and events […]
Skylar and VJ stay in jail but time halved
(CNS) UPDATED WITH LAWYER’S STATEMENT: The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal handed down a reduced sentence on Tuesday, when they cut the jail time for Skylar Mack (18) and Vanjae “VJ” Ramgeet (24), who were convicted for breaching quarantine regulations, from four months to two. The justices did not explain the reasons for the change, […]
QC argues for first sentence in quarantine breach
(CNS): Ben Tonner QC opened arguments on behalf of Skylar Mack and Vanjae Ramgeet in the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal on Tuesday, asking the panel of judges to re-instate the magistrate’s original community service order or a more appropriate sentence for the couple’s now infamous COVID-19 quarantine breach. Tonner said the judge who overturned […]
Bush begins 60 day evening curfew
(CNS): Speaker McKeeva Bush began a two-month long evening house curfew at his West Bay home on Monday, as the sentence handed down for his conviction for assault by Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn came into force. Meanwhile, Premier Alden McLaughlin indicated that government was unlikely to do anything to remove Bush from his prestigious office, regardless […]
Speaker’s behaviour shameful, says magistrate
(CNS): House Speaker McKeeva Bush is under home curfew after a magistrate suspended a short two month prison sentence and fined him $700 on Monday for his conviction for assault and disorderly conduct. Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn described his behaviour as reprehensible and said she needed to send a message to the community. Bush has also […]
