Ex-cop still evades jail
(CNS): Despite being convicted of wounding over a year ago and sentenced to six months in prison, a 39-year-old ex-cop has managed to postpone jailagain for a further five months after his appeal against his conviction and sentence on Monday was adjourned. Rabe Welcome was found guilty in June last year after a trial by jury, which concluded the former RCIPS officer had used excessive force during an arrest in the early hours of the morning at a George Town gas station while off duty some four years ago. Although he received a custodial sentence in September 2012, Welcome has spent only a few days in jail after filing his appeal and being re-bailed.
Welcome told the appeal court Monday that he was seeking the services of a QC to present his appeal and asked that the hearing be postponed until the next Cayman Islands Court of Appeal sitting in November.
It is well over four years since the incident and more than one year since he was convicted by a jury after trial, but Welcome has managed to remain a free man on bail pending the appeal.
The ex-cop, who was dismissed from the RCIPS once he was convicted, broke an arm and caused other injuries to Adolphus Myrie, which the judge said had crossed the line and led to his jail term, which Justice Alex Henderson was needed to deter other police officers and to send a message that such abuse of power would not be tolerated.
The judge said that Welcome had no previous convictions or disciplinary violations, had good character references and that he had a low risk of re-offending, but because of what Justice Henderson had described as the “unusual circumstances of the case” and the need to send an important message to other police officers, he imposed the six months imprisonment.
Speaking for his client during the sentencing hearing, defence attorney Ben Tonner had asked the judge not to impose jail time but a community-based sentence and a compensation order, as a prison sentence for a former police officer would be even harder since he could be serving alongside people he had arrested.
The altercation was believed to have been started by Welcome when he and other off duty cops insulted Myrie’s girlfriend, but Myrie then over-reacted with his threats towards the men, threatening them with a machete in his car.
The judge said that Welcome had a right to make an arrest as Myrie had committed at least two offences, but once the victim had been persuaded to put down the machete there was no longer a need for Welcome to defend himself. Justice Henderson found that when the assault took place, Myrie did not pose a threat to the off-duty officer, who was also physically much bigger than him.
Category: Crime
What people seems to forget, the problem is not the laywers or the criminals. It is the LAW that makes these absurd situations possible.
The law is made by POLITICIANS. So THAT is where the problem is.
No justice!!!! What message does this send?!!!!
Police should have harsher punishment for breaking the law.
This is ridiculous.
If he had ended up killing the victim, wouldn't he had been sent to northward with the rest of murderers or I guess he would still be set free since it was his first offence and also set free as its not safe for him to be in prison with the criminals he placed there.
This remind me of the Zimmerman's case, someone with authority provoking the victim and abusing their authority, in the end an inoccent teen lost his life and Zimmerman walks free.
Will there be any justice for Mr. Myrie?!!! How can we the people feel safe if police are allowed to verbally abuse women, then when their men defends them, their men is beaten till near dead and then abuser/police are allowed to walk the road free. Where is the justice?!
It is amazing how every case, or situation is drawn to mirror the Zimmermann incident. He was innocent…….George shot him down……the teen was just walking around and this guy shot him dead. The ignorance to this point of view is so bloody clouded! The prosecution in the Zimmermann case perverted the proper course of Justice so far in order to get a conviction, but even though this was tried as the FACTS on thier face would never stand up to get a charge laid, let alone a conviction, Mr. ZImmermann was found not guilty by memebers of his peers. There was no perversion or authority on his part abused in order to avoid prison. The government were what appears to be the ones that perverted justice. Martin was a wannabe thug. He was not a poor little child that was hunted by the 1960;s members of the KKK and murdered in cold blood. Mr. Zimmermann was beaten. The Government could not prove that he was defending himself, nor was not the aggressor in the attack? Rabe clearly broke this mans arm. The man had a machete. I do not know, but if Rabe had not insulted as was reported the mans wife or female friend, I would say job well done.I could see how someone would want to chop him up for that. BUT in a civilized world we do not. The cases are no where near the same accept the "Victims" were not totally excempt from fault. How can anyone for all that is reasonable try and show similar circumstances between this and Rabe. On top of this, Rabe is well within the scope of the law to avoid serving his sentence until it has been heard by an appeal. We have real criminals or criminals of unspeakable evil walk out of the court almost daily and laugh about it. If the court does not side with Rabe on his appeal, then he will serve his sentence, which I believe should be served away from the population where he may have sent some to jail. While I think he had no cause to treat this man and his female friend/ wife that way, he is afforded the same course of Justice that the common criminal does. He also was a member of the the RCIP and served the community. He does deserve some kind of consideration, not in avoiding prison time, but protection from harm, that is not unreasonable to forsee. One should govern themselves accordingly before stating throw him to the wolves and trying to make a case of the US most recent media sensation. I guess walking around with a hoddie on private land is what is acceptable and if challenged you can than assault someone and expect that person to take it until they are half dead. Great world you live in.
You need to learn how to read and comprehend and get unclouded…Trayvon Martin was NOT on private land..he was on a PUBLIC sidewalk..and was UNARMED..we will never know why he felt the need to confront Zimmerman or who started what, because Trayvon Martin is DEAD, shot by someone who was told that he was not needed to follow him as the police were on the way… and dead men tell no tales..
Learn how to read? Martin had.walked through private property and looked suspicious. Zimmerman while was told be a 911 dispatcher to not pursue him. He did not chase him down through private land. The confrontation took place on a public sidewalk where Zimmerman had every right to be. While in hindsight everything we do could be handled different people ignore the fact that things are different when unfolding. As you admitted we never will know for certain Martins side as he is no longer here there was a trial that concluded Mr Zimmerman was attacked and JUSTICE WAS SERVED. My point was at comparing a dead 17 year old to every case where someone was wronged or felt wronged is ridiculous. If you feel Martin was not given a chance at justice remember that Mr. ZIMMERMAN WAS THE ONE THAT HAD TO LIVE THROUGH THIS WHOLE ORDEAL and has to live with the fact that he was forced to take a young life in self defense as a jury concluded. You cannot compare this case of a machete attack and broken arm to that of a dead boy who’s life taker was found innocent. Justice is the process not always the outcome. The process is still not complete on this case.Mr. Welcome may or may not end up in prison. Once the process is concluded we have to accept Justice has been served. The fellow with the broken arm cojld have taken the high road and not attacked Mr Welcome but instead reported him to his superiors. He made a choice. It takes two to tango.
All I have to say is if you treat others with respect when you are doing your job you have nothing to fear.
I know a police officer He made mistakes. He went to northward and the people He had arrested and were in there respected him because He treated them with respect. Truth be told it was those who he had arrested that were there that defended him at times when his safety may have been in jeopardy. But if you treat folks terribly and like second class people when it's your turn to answer for your actions. You have good reason to be afraid!!!
I am certain the criminals are all a morally imposed group of people and respect boundries…….HELLLOOO. What the h-ll are you thinking man?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe that if he loses his appeal he needs to serve but not with a large group of people who have issues with him as it is not a normal situation. XXXX Let him serve in WB like Bradford Connors did when he went to jail.
Come on over to my house rabe and make comments to my wife. I promise you won't get off so lightly. He's just another bully in a uniform. Try that shit with me and you'll be the one in a cast. Promise!
Now if that were me or you we would have been in Northward ASAP.
It's sad how somepeople can be above the law and even when they are wrong the law still works in their favor. SMH.
Rabe breaks the arm of a Myrie is tried and convicted in court a certain UK officer breaks the pelvis of Manderson after deliberately running him over wth a police vehicle no less, after a car chase in West Bay victim is quietly paid off, officer gets reasigned yes justice is served UK Style. Yes Cayman they are here to root out corruption so long as it is not them. No worries the Baroness is here to tell us how it goes. I wonder if she will tell us about the recent disclosure of the EX UK prime Minister Big TONY da Smooth Blair deal with the now deceased deposed leader of Libya Mummar K to sell him Missles for a subsidiary of BAE in return for Lockbie bomber return to Libya yes and some have the nerve to come here and talk about Cayman having an art form type corruption. Waffling You tell that to the 270 people on board Pan Am Flight 103 and those on the ground unnah despicable hypocrites. and finally the assistance we get from the military i hope you ain't referring to the Navy cause during Hurricane Ivan it was rather dismal to say the least?
They're also protecting other nationalities. A few years ago, I had a horrible experience with a non-UK, non-Caymanian cop that committed multiple traffic offences. When I dared to make a police report (I had no idea he was a cop at the time), a senior officer showed up at my apartment early on a Sunday morning and intimidated me into dropping my complaint. This same cop has since been involved in at least TWO similar incidents that I know of. He is a menace and his fellow officers continue to protect him.
Did you drop it?
So why did you yield to his intimidation??? You see something is wrong and yet you fail to go to complaints about it to have the officer disciplined. Say no more! Don't tell me you're a Caymanian!
Ooo listen to brave little Anonymous! I'm sure YOU'D have stood up to him!
Acquiescence will ensure that Cayman stays in the third world.
Why is there such a fear of any sort of confrontation here?
He may be a senior officer in your eyes but once stepped out of the law he is just trash.
People should challenge anything as the more people exposed as drawing a salary under false pretences the better it is for Cayman.
Too long have people hidden behind rank and status gained dubiously., spouting hot air and demanding respect.
Make them accountable and responsible for their actions.
Never gonna happen…all they have to do is resign and it all goes away…
I am not sure what the point of this anti-Briitsh rant is, but I assume the poster would be happy with this convicted violent criminal going to jail if the appeal is succesful?
Ummm…the point is discriminatory treatment, dimwit. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
So when did the Royal Navy provide a better service post Hurricane and to who and why did they get non discriminatory treatment over the Cayman Islands?
Your point does not wash one bit and it is still an Anti UK rant by any standard.
Just another anti UK rant jumping on the 'Whodatis' Pro Independence Circus.
I guess it does make a change from the Anti UK, disgruntled, bitter and twisted, ex cop commenters that normally post on such subjects.
So who are you really mad at ?
Anything and anyone not connected to cayman I guess.
Or should we narrow it down and be Uk specific?
You could really prove a point to your xenophobic rant by handing your British passport in to any consulate or any passing UK national who will gladly hand it in for you.
In fact, leave me a cell number and I will come and get it myself.
If a UK system of justice is not for you then feel free to move somewhere better suited to your policing needs and a 'l'il hep' is given by politicians. Lagos, Nigeria would be a good starting point.
I am not the poster you are responding to, but obviously his complaint is about discriminatory treatment where Caymanians are concerned. It is absurd to suggest that that means he is xenophobic.
But we all know the poster is xenophobic.
You got to understand that once you are a police officer, you have enemies in prison. There needs to be a special facility to lock people up like Welcome.
Disagree. Nobody is above the law and police officers by their very office, deserve to be mingled with the gen pop if they break the law which they were employed to uphold.
And police officer punishments should be harsher…they should be upholders of the law…breaching that public trust makes it twice as bad..
Prisoners have enemies in prison, no matter what their background. Its called Prison, not The Sunshine Hotel.
You do the crime, you do the time. Just like everybody else.
Actually SSM345 it is called Her Majestys Hotel.
Rumour is that the repeat prisoners tell the guards to hold their cell for when they get back.
A special facility? I guess his uniform and badge went straight to his already big head, maybe a mental health wing at the Big House is where he should be.
Really. 8:50? I should think itgoes more like this:
Welcome, you have got to understand that once you are a police officer, you might have enemies in prison; therefore, you should have done your utmost to remain a squeaky clean officer and made every good effort to keep your sorry a$$ out of Northward because there is no "special facility" for bad cops. Do bear in mind that the victims probably have more good friends in Northwards than you. XXX
Actually 8:50, what you wrote is just stupid. Let's say gang member "FoolDawg" kills a rival gang member and is convicted. FoolDawg being a gang member certainly will have enemies in prison. So you think FoolDawg should be kept in your "special facility" too?
But wait! You now have Welcome chillin' out in your "special facility" but he is the one of many officers who arrested FoolDawg at some point. So now we gotta build another "special facility" for FoolDawg.
Suppose another gangsta, DumClat, retailiates and kills a member of FoolDawg's gang and is sentenced to a prison term. DumClat has enemies in Northward, and he was was once arrested by Welcome, and he is certainly an ememy of FoolDawg. Damn! We gotta build yet another "special facility" for DumClat! We would not want poor Welcome and FoolDawg and DumClat to be imprisoned with their enemies, now would we? So where does it end? Soon we will be spending our entire national budget on "special facilities" that will become more plentiful than condos on the landscape.
I think a better solution is: If you don't want to serve the time, don't do the crime! XXXX