Robbery pepper spray came from cop’s home
(CNS): The two teenagers convicted last year of the robbery at the Blackbeard’s store in Grand Harbour were found to have handcuffs and pepper spray in their possession that had been stolen from a police officer’s home in an earlier burglary. Jonathan Welcome (18) and Jordon Powell (19) were sentenced to 6 years for a foiled daylight hold-up at a liquor store after they were apprehended by civilians at the scene. The teenagers were carrying a load shotgun, which failed to fire, as well as pepper spray which they used during the struggle with the civilians who prevented their escape. The court heard Friday that the pepper spray belonged to a serving police officer.
The teens are now facing burglary and handling stolen goods charges and although the two are denying being responsible for the burglary at the police officers house, their defence attorney told the court that the two young men were willing to plead guilty to handling stolen goods.
Welcome and Powell pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, possession of an unlicensed firearm and other related offences in connection with their bungled heist at Blackbeard’s and their attempts to rob a member of the public.
The loaded firearm was later discovered to be faulty and not capable of firing but the courtheard during the sentencing hearing that one of the young men had his finger on the trigger and had attempted to fire the weapon during the struggle that ensued with the witnesses to the attempted robbery. Charles Ebanks who grabbed the barrel of the gun and struggled with the teen offender did not know at the time that the firearm was faulty. He along with Edward Azan and Ray MacGuire had gone on to chase the would-be robbers, as well as disarmed and restrained them until the police arrived.
Category: Crime
If it weren't for those brave civilians, these two would be out torob again I'm sure! Hats off to these men for their efforts in keeping Cayman safe! Usually the site of a gun would freeze anyone up and have them incapable of acting in such situations, two less robbers/murderers to worry about and one more gun off the streets! Whether it works or not, it may have been one used in past robberies to intimidate cashiers and customers into handing over items and cash!
The Cayman Islands need to get back to good family values and a sound beating with tamarind limbs, young men in days gone by would never have attempted anything like this! Parents spent time disciplining and raising their children with respect and dignity and the loss of such is one of the number one reasons we are afflicted with such terror!
i dont understand the entitlement issue here. why were they not required to check it in at the station and go home unarmed like the rest of society?
right… it is because they have no rules, and they are much more valuable people than the rest of us.
Whatever happened with the missing gun a while back…?
To start with…these two are not children, they might be teenagers but they are over the age to be tried and sentenced as adults.
Attempted murder and possession of an unlicenced firearm carries sentences far in excess of 6 years, of which they will do only, at the most 2/3 rds….4 years or less….
By which time they will only bein their early 20s; imo, this sentence does not serve as any type of deterrant to anyone else who might have similar ideas.
Also, to be fair to these youngsters, the Cayman Islands needs to move quickly in establishing MANDATORY education requirements for prisoners of this age while they are in prison, meaning establishing an education facility within the prison system that provides education up to at least high school level and establish it as a part of their sentence that they MUST complete their high school diploma while in prison or face longer sentences.
These young lives do not need to abandoned simply because they have committed a grave mistake…society MUST do its part in helping them to leave prison as better people than when they went in and prepared to be useful, contributing members of society.
An education facility that provides both academic and vocational qualifications needs to be established as a MANDATORY part of Cayman's prison system as soon as possible.
It might be the only way of saving Cayman from the certain destiny to which it is rapidly heading.
Six years,damn that's harsh! I guess the court system does not trust our rehabilitation offices to sort this, reminder, we are talking about children here, 18 and 19 years old! Take them out of their enviornment, educate and fill them with hope, but yeah i see the logic, send them to prison where they congregate with other criminals and further develop their rebilious attitudes. Because the USA "does away" with its criminals dosn't mean we have to.
Sorry I just realised I was typing in a foreign language,Ill speak in "greedy", maybe then you might understand, if yah don't fix the problem rather than sweep it under the rug, it will grow up, tougher and smarter, and eventually it will steal yah money, gold watches, break into your expensive homes,steal yah designa jeans and even the saltfish from yah ackee.Comprende?
Children…don't make me laugh…the are NOT CHILDREN, they knew what they were doing…they took a firearm, fired it, but the firing pin jammed, .their intent was to kill…this is why cayman is in the mess we are in with people like you….once you carry that firearm you have crossed the line!!!
Profound Reality, XXXX? Had the shotgun cartridge not been a dudd there would have been an armed robbery / murder, plain and simple. They should have been charged and found guilty of attempted murder. People like that have no place in society XXXX
Fair argument, can we consider for a moment the fact that at 18 and19 years old they were prepared to kill!, what will happen when they are released, no job, no money ,no oppurtunites no identity ,other than a criminal, what do you imagine will be their only option? Im not saying they should not be locked away, what I am saying is their incarceration should not be handled as an oppurtunity to help not only ourseleves,(extracting them from society) but to help the children aswell.Isn't that after all what we want, to help one another?
"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children"
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Im sure my words come across as extreme and perhaps ignorant; I however believe in the ability to change, these kids are obviously confused, angry, and isolated. Anyone besides me wonder why!
only six years??
What my questions is "Pepper Spray, isn't it illegal to have it? or is it legal for a Police Officer to have it?"
scary that in 6 short years, these merder attempters will be free to try again.
Scarier. They will be out much before the end of 6 years.
Your looking more at 3 years really
Why do police officers have their pepper spray and handcuffs at home. When they are off duty arent they left at the station??
helps to keep the wife under control……
No officers are forced to carry all their equipment home as they are not provided basics such as lockers at the police station.
I for one am pleased with the 6 year sentence for these youngsters.I cant recall many other recent cases where the "foiled" burglers were actual caught, charged and sentenced for such a period. Make an example, put fear in thier associates, something has got to give.
A very feeble sentence.
And this is why more guns is not the answer, despite what Denny and the gun lobby may say.
This is not a Just scentence.
The FACT that the firearm was Loaded with LIVE ammunition shows undeniable Intent on the part of the perpetrators.
IF they had known that the weapon was defective, then there would have been no justifiable reason to load it with the live ammunition. Additionally, the attempt to ‘fire’ the weapon by pulling the trigger supports this.
The MAXIMUM scentence for Attempted Murder is what should be prescribed here.
How can we discourage our children from gravitating to the Gang and Criminal culture, when the punishment is so lenient?
Agree, they thought it could fire and was working thats why they pressed the trigger. They should get the max sentence for attempted murder. it is only by grace that it was not a murder.
If I remember correctly the charges were changed to an "imitation" firearm because it could not fire. What a crock of sh!t that was….they thought it could fire, thats why it had shells in it! (ammunition is also considered a firearm, not immitation!)