Archive for December 3rd, 2012
Security beefed up as Cubans seek asylum
(CNS): Some of the 25 Cuban refugees recently rescued by a cruise ship have asked for political asylum and are now being processed, officials from the immigration department have stated. Deputy Chief of Immigration Gary Wong said his officers, in cooperation with other agencies, continue to meet the needs of the latest group of migrants to land in the Cayman Islands. He said that security has been enhanced at the Immigration Detention Centre, from where several people who have been detained there in the past have made their escape.
The latest group of 25 Cuban nationals arrived on Grand Cayman on 8 November, the day after immigration had repatriated five refugees, who had arrived earlier, under the MOU Cayman has with its neighbour.
At first this group of 25 did not seek assistance and continued on their journey after passing through local waters. However, on the treacherous journey to Swan Island, a passing Carnival cruise ship picked them up after the vessel got into difficulties with mechanical problems.
The group was then returned to Grand Cayman and taken to the detention centre.
Although the Cayman government continues to pursue the repatriation of most Cubans under the controversial agreement with the Cuban government, with the implementation of the local Bill of Rights last month there are now questions surrounding the MOU and the continued policy of deporting any Cubans who seek assistance.
Crown pursues murder cases
(CNS): Although Raziel Jeffers' conviction for the murder of Marcus Ebanks was upheld by the Court of Appeal, condemning the 28-year-old West Bay man to a life behind bars, the crown intends to continue with two other charges against him. Jeffers has also been charged with the murder of Damion Ming and Marcus Duran, two fatal shootings which occurred within days of each other in West Bay in 2010. Trials have now been set for August and October of next year. In both cases the primary evidence presented by the crown is the alleged confession that Jeffers made to his ex-lover.
The court dismissed Jeffers' appeals last week, which were made primarily on two grounds. The first was that the trial judge had been biased against the defendant as a result of seeing a damning police dossier and intelligence report relating to local gang activity which pointed to Jeffers as a one of the most dangerousmen in Cayman. The second grounds of appeal was that telephone evidence which demonstrated that the crown’s key witness had lied about the day of the shooting in Bonaventure Lane was never put before the trial judge.
The appeal was dismissed, however, and although the defence was given an opportunity to present a third ground relating to gunshot residue contamination (GSR) particles found on Jeffers at the time of his arrested shortly after the shooting, in which teenager Adryan Powell was also paralysed and three other boys were also shot at, the defence has not pursued this route.
A police report recently revealed GSR at George Town police station, the police vehicles and equipment, as well as officers, bringing into question GSR evidence. However, Jeffers’ defence team acknowledged that the conviction against their client did not hang on the GSR.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal also dismissed the appeal of Leonard Ebanks for the murder of Tyrone Burrell in Birch Tree Hill, West Bay, in September 2010. The main evidence against Ebanks had been based on the evidence of a woman whom Ebanks had allegedly confessed his crime to.
However, the defence team had said that the witness has claimed to have had visions and dreams foretelling the future, and as a result claimed she was a fantasist who had made up the confession, and with no direct corroborating evidence, the trial judge had misdirected himself. However, the court dismissed the appeal.
The appeal court begins its final week Monday with an appeal by Devon Anglin against his conviction for the murder of Carlos Webster in a West Bay Road nightclub in 2009. His was the first conviction in Cayman using entirely anonymous witnesses and the findings of the higher court in this case could set a precedence for future use of witnesses who are identified only to the trial judge.
Related article on CNS:
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/crime/2012/11/26/jeffers-murder-appeal-fails
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/crime/2012/01/24/jeffers-killer-says-ex-lover
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/crime/2012/10/12/cops-contaminated-gsr
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/crime/2011/09/30/judge-finds-ebanks-guilty