Teenager jailed after blinding man with bottle

| 19/12/2014

(CNS): A 19-year-old West Bay man has been sentenced to two years in jail after assaulting another man with a bottle, which led the victim to lose his sight in one eye. Shaquille Bush first pleaded not guilty on 7 February this year but the day after his trial was set to begin he changed his plea to guilty of unlawfully wounding Roy Ebanks in West Bay last September. The court heard that as Ebanks was walking to the Miss Daisy Lane intersection, a drunken Bush shouted for him to leave. Ebanks agreed that he would but Bush caught him off guard with a slap to the left side of his face and then struck him on the right side of his face with a glass bottle. 

After the incident occurred Ebanks reported it to the police and was taken to the hospital, where he was told that he had suffered a serious penetrating injury to his right eye and blood in the chamber of his eye. The injury has affected Ebanks’ vision as he is now completely blind in his right eye, which is likely to be permanent.

During the sentencing hearing earlier this month, the court heard that Ebanks was going to the Logwood area to collect limes from a friend for sale when he noticed Bush some distance away. Ebanks said that wen Bush started to shout to him to leave, there were other people around him so he did not know who he was speaking to. Bush came up to Ebanks and said “Get out of here!” and slapped him on the left side of his cheek with his hand, and as Ebanks turned around to leave Bush picked up a glass bottle from the ground and hit him over his right eye with it, causing it to shatter.

Ebanks told social workers in his impact statement that he was completely shocked by Bush’s actions and that he has received what he feels is an insincere apology from Bush, in which he said, “Sorry, I was drunk.” Ebanks has been unable to work for 6 months and has found ithard to readjust back to his regular routine. In addition, Ebanks’ lack of sight has caused him to fall off a step at his house and break his leg.

The outstanding medical bills for Ebanks’ hospital visit are CI $5,526.67 as well as thebill for his broken foot, which is CI $2,165.97.

Since the incident Bush has stated that he “feels really bad” about what happened and has expressed genuine remorse but stated that payment for Ebanks’ medical bills will not be made, and speaking on his behalf, his lawyer said, “Compensation is not going to happen.”

Justice Charles Quin described the crime as a  “malicious and violent attack”, where Bush deliberately “picked up a bottle and struck the victim again” after first slapping him in the face. He said this was "a serious aggravating factor” that had been taken into account. The judge also said that there were few, if any, mitigating factors and that Bush’s failure to “provide, or even offer, any compensation whatsoever to the victim does not convey genuine remorse”.

Taking all factors into consideration, including the defendant’s age, the judge said the appropriate sentence would be two and a half years but he gave Bush a discount for his last minute guilty plea, which avoided the need for trial, and sent him to prison for two years.

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  1. Anonymous says:



    and so he returns to his second home. H.M.P.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Two years? Seriously? This is outrageous. He should have been locked up and the key thrown away. 

  3. Anonymous says:

    It was a crime of passion

  4. Anonymous says:

    This is how young people fight here in Cayman.  Any small fight fight at a bar turns into bottles being thrown and used as weapons.  Hopefully this will cause them to realize what serious damage can be caused by a glass bottle.  

  5. Anonymous says:

    The money he make at Hotel California, he can certainly hand over to the victim. Heartless!

  6. anonymous says:

    What nationality is the perp? Can he be deported?

  7. Anonymous says:

    Should have given him 40 yrs!!

  8. Cheese Face says:

    2 years for blinding someone permanetly? Pathetic.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Blind someone – 5 years in my book unless offering to volunteer for an eye for an eye.  Remember 2 years means less than 18 months.

  10. Anonymous says:

    It is too bad he is 19 and the parents  can not be made to pay for the man's medical bills. This was a vicious attack. 2 years is not enough if restitution/medical bills will not be paid. IMO.

  11. Anonymous says:

    He should be made to pay for the victim's medical bills. In the absence of a court order to this effect, the victim should sue. This is a shocking crime and in my opinon warrants a punishment far greater than 2 years and no restitution. This little punk will be out in less than 18 months to terrorise other people.

    • Anon says:

      It is probably true that he will be out in 18 months, if he has no money nor assets, what's the point of the court ordering restitution or the victim suing? 

      • Anonymous says:

        So that if or when he gets any money he has to give half of it to  the government to pay for the man's hospital bills.

      • Anonymous says:

        Garnish future wages. Plus – inmates can work at Northward and get paid for it – albeit very small sums. He shoud be made to work while imprisoned and the money earned go to his victim.

      • Anonymous says:

        If he can't cover the victim's medical bills then he should cover it in additional years to that mickey mouse prison sentence.

    • Anonymous says:

      A friend of mine was blinded by a Police Offier a few years ago who smashed in his eye socket with his hand held radio whilst the man had his hands handcuffed behind his back.

      Absolutely nothing happened to the Police Officer andmy fiend was left permanently blind in one eye.

      • Anonymous says:



        No doubt your friend filed a complaint. 

        Obvously what you lay out would be shocking and uncceptable behaviour and the police officer should be disciplined. Why haven't they? I don't know. Perhaps you should submit an FOI request to see what investigations took place. Unless of course ou think that the police will have done such a horough cover up job that here is no sign of a complaint ever having been made.