Barnes gets life for 2nd rape
Barnes was convicted of this offence in April following a trial by jury but he had already pleaded guilty to another rape of a 49-year-old woman, whom he had abducted from a bus stop. Both offences took place within a few days of each other in October 2011.
In the case presided over by Justice Quin, Barnes had denied raping the woman, who testified that he had repeatedly raped her after breaking into her home in the middle of the night armed with a Swiss army knife.
The details of the case were harrowing. The victim testified that she woke up in the middle of the night in her dark apartment to find a man on top of her with one hand on her throat and a knife. As she begged him not to rape her, he squeezed her throat tighter and told her to stop crying as it could be a lot worse — it could be six men. Barnes was said to have begun kissing the woman and told her to act like she was enjoying it before he cut off the clothes she was wearing with the knife.
After the rape, he even laid down and starting asking questions about her life, at which point she told him that the thing she feared most of all was to be raped. He responded by raping her more, including anal rape, even though she pleaded with him not to hurt her anymore.
At some point Barnes spotted the woman’s phone in the bed, which she had been using to text friends before she fell asleep. When he saw that she had seen it, he pushed the knife between her vagina and anus and threatened to “cut the whole thing out” if she tried anything. The nightmare lasted all night before Barnes told her he would come back with a gun if she told anyone. He said there was no point in telling the police anything because the RCIPS could not solve crimes.
In the light of dawn the woman told Barnes she had to go to work and she was eventually able to get away from him. She then immediately called a friend in Jamaica as she went to work, where she told her boss. After staying at her employer’s home that evening, she left the country the next day and never returned to her apartment. According to the evidence, the victim did not know Barnes but she had seen him around the neighbourhood and was able to identify him as a result of his tattoos and markings.
After she left Cayman, her employer went to the victim’s apartment and found the carnage and persuaded her to report the crime. He called the police who sent in a crime scene team. They found the cut clothes, a condom wrapper and Barnes’ DNA.
The victim reported being seriously impacted by the incident and said she can no longer be alone and still has nightmares. She wakes up in the night repeatedly to check windows and doors and is perpetually over cautious. According to her impact statement, she cannot speak about the crime and could not work for a year.
“I feel my personal space was totally violated and I have trouble communicating with others … The trial was very hard as I am ashamed of what happened, I came to Cayman to find a better life; instead, it is ruined,” she said.
Barnes was arrested later that month but not until he had raped another woman, whom he abducted from a bus stop on Shamrock Road. He took the 49-year-old woman to Admiral’s Landing in Red Bay, where in a deserted spot he raped her before driving off and leaving her at the location.
As a result of the description that the woman gave, a manhunt was triggered for Barnes. He reluctantly pleaded guilty to that offence but then attempted to withdraw his plea when he changed attorneys, but that application was denied and he was sentenced by Justice Henderson to fifteen years.
In the case before Justice Quin, Barnes was charged with two counts of rape and aggravated burglary and, because of his long criminal record, including 19 violent offences, the complete absence of any mitigating circumstances due to Barnes’ refusal to admit his guilt even after conviction, and a catalogue of aggravating circumstances relating to the horrific rape, the judge said that Barnes was a serious danger to women and that he would impose the maximum life sentence as provided for in the local sentencing guidelines for a second offence for rape.
After the sentence was handed down, Barnes asked to speak and insisted he was innocent.
“I listened to what was said about how I have violent tendencies, and everything I do I take responsibility for. But I promise you I did not commit this offence,” he said. The judge told him that the members of the jury were unanimous in their verdict, and although Barnes tried to argue that he was a victim of media bias, the judge cut him short, pointing out that he had delivered his ruling.
A social enquiry report on Barnes revealed that he believed the police had planted evidence, but experts described Barnes as a chronic offender with a long history of crime against people, irrespective of gender or status. The social enquiry report said he had a stable family life until he was ten, when his parents divorced and he began demonstrating behavioural problems and got involved with gangs drugs, guns and women. His first encounter with the law was when he was only 13.
Barnes gradually became responsible for off-loading illegally imported drugs from canoes, and when he was caught, he was went to Bonaventure and later an approved school in the United States, which he described as harder than prison.
He has 19 convictions, 12 of which are for violence, and while in prison the last time for rape, as he was convicted in 2001 and was given a ten year sentence, Barnes committed numerous infractions and acts of violence against prison officers.
Described as irritable, hostile and aggressive and viewing himself as an outcast, he scored high on the social enquiry report for paranoia and described himself as misunderstood, mistreated and persecuted. Diagnosed with possible hyper mania and depression, with many anti-social tendencies, a psychiatrist said he needed medication as he could have adult attention deficit disorder or a bi-polar condition.
As well as a life sentence for all three of thecounts against him, Justice Quin ordered Barnes to complete the prison’s anger management and sexual offenders’ treatment programme.
John Furniss, who represented Barnes, queried the possibility of a tariff when the life sentence was handed down, but Cheryll Richards, QC, the director of public prosecutions who brought the case for the crown, pointed out that the legislative framework was not yet in place
The judge confirmed that it would be a matter for Furniss and his client to bring a case for review to the court.
Category: Crime
Have anyone thought maybe life turned him that way. Maybe the system we have turned him that way. Think bad of someone and tell them they are bad all the time. Power is in the tongue, speak what you want and you shall have it, such as a man thinketh so is he. Keep calling someone a thing and they will become that thing. Just saying. Start telling Jeffery all the Good he can be and watch what happens. I'm just saying! It is easy to speak when you are on the other side. Think what it must be like to be Jeffery for a day. EVERYONE constantly bombards you with "you are no good, you are nothing, you are worthless, you should be castrated, you are this and you are that. NOTHING GOOD! People come on Peace, Peace, Peace!
What nationality is he?
He had 19 violent offences in his long criminal record – why was he allowed to roam the streets and harm innocent people with that kind of record?? Our system is at fault here and needs to be straightened out before this sort of violence is tolerated in the future!!
If he breaks out of jail agin, I would be very nervous as a woman. I was the first time and I've never been a victim of his; it's just the mere thought that someone can do such ill things towards you.
He is a very sick person and quite frankly he should be placed in maximum security in the jail if he's had previous successful jail breaks and is a constant pain in the ass towards other inmates and prison guards with violence.
Reading all of the comments here, I agree with most. Even the most ugliest of comments I feel are too nice to describe this 'thing'.
But humility also is tugging at my heart and thinking "what is going through his mother's head who could be reading all this?" If it were my son, my heart would be so full. Even though he's done wrong, very wrong things, things that will take many years for women to rebuild their own lives and boost confidence levels in the opposite sex again, I can imagine that it's not easy for any mother, sister, aunty, grandma or other close relative to read as this was not their plan when he was born and being raised.
This type of article would have been best done for no comments to be read and displayed. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions; I certainly have mine but my verbage to express what I think and feel about this situation is really no-one's business but my own.
he is a sick sick man and should be in there till his thing have no use then and only then let him out kmt wasting our money feeding this scum bag kmt shame on him sick man
Of course, the Court of Appeal will reduce this to time served……………
I would love to crush his nuts with my size 14 shoes, life in prison doesn't do justice for this punk.
Justice is served to our hurting family!!! God is good all the time!!!
Why does God have to be brought into this? I think you should praise the justice system smh.
Jeffrey Barnes has escaped from prison before. One of his complaints on why he escaped and didn't want to go back was because he was being raped. I guess his experience didn't allow him to feel compassion for his future victims. The progression of his crimes makes it very plausible that if allowed to be free again, he could begin killing his victims in order to avoid being caught. I really believe he is a psychopath/sociopath and a genuine predator. XXX I also sincerely hope that he will be housed away from younger and vulnerable prisoners, as they would surely become his victims too.
Lets just hope he doesn't find any wire snips in there.
Bring in the sex offender record & let the public know who these animals are but protecting the victims! Sandra Catron has the right idea!
Bracka
A note to the Human Rights advocates (HRA), choose your battles with consideration to the human in the “victim” position in this chest game.
HRA challenge laws and in this case “Human Rights”, because they want to expose flaws, but what good is that when the legal system or the challenge itself is morally flawed?
What rights do people truly have if they consciously choose to violate the rights of others? And I am just talking about personal safety violations in this case. i.e. sexual assault, rape, abusers (psychological, physical, financial…. Yes there are various types) and murder.
Ask yourself, should these people be allowed to live anywhere?
We joke about sending these offenders off to other countries, where there’s record of harsh living standards in prison, but what good is there if they get to “enjoy” the gift of life having destroyed the life of another person.
My opinion for people:
You are defected and shouldn’t have the right to life having compromised the life of others.
Should this be the only option, after rehabilitation treatments have been exhausted, and having “them” live separately and constantly monitored? (That are up to global standards, catch up Cayman)
The methods of publicly beating and shame them, are gone for some reason.
So don’t send them away to another country. Send them away to be truly judged, by the abyss. Hammer in the reality of serving the consequences of their actions. Allow them to forfeit the right to exist to solely torment others. That, or let the victim choose, because of the end of the day, aren’t they the ones that society is obligated to serve justice to?
Life for now, until some Human Right's lawyer shows up. Then what? argue some crap like it it is against his human rights to be denied the freedom he so deserves.
After reading this article and all its comments, I have not changed my feeling about crime:
I believe rape should be a capital offence punishable by death. I also believe that after the third offence the same sentence should be levied on other crimes like robbery and crimes against humanity. Crime would take a nosedive and millions of dollars would not be wasted baby-sitting criminals in prison.
This is what happens when the system ignores the behaviour of young people. The writing has always been on the wall. Authorities were warned, and still they did not intervene, thinking that he would not do "it" again. This pattern of ignorance and dismissiveness prevails in our society, unless, the behaviour directly affects those with decision-making authority or their friends. How can his classmates identify that "sumting wrong wit him" and the people in charge are unable to see it? Nineteen times in prison for similar offences and not one intervention! This speaks to a total breakdown of the system, from the schools to Northward to the Probation/Parole dept. Obviously, prison is this country is not rehabilitative, afterall they only started sentence planning the other day and as far as I heard, counselling is about to resume. Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the perpetrator above would have benefitted from that , but one has to question the intentions of the authority to help the youth of Cayman. This I question as well, as Cayman is number twenty in the world of countries that incarcerate their own. A new statistic for Cayman. Imagine that! With just under 60K living here. What is even more alarming is that the entire Caribbean region makes it on this list, with most Countries being a UK OT or affiliate. One would have to wonder if this is just another part of the plan, a colonial conspiracy.
soon be out life cant stick lol
May he rot in there and never see the light of day again!
"Barnes gradually became responsible for off-loading illegally imported drugs from canoes, and when he was caught, he was went to Bonaventure and later an approved school in the United States, which he described as harder than prison."
There lies the problem, when a school is tougher than prison its seriously time to take a look at prison life and make the experience as unpleasant as is humanely possible to work as a deterrent. These thugs have no fear of going to prison, its just like a holiday camp – going on vacation with your mates.
Get the guy from Bootcamp in there giving them their 5am wake up routine.
Thank you Judge for passing the correct sentence in this instance. This man is an evil monster and there is no need for him to be among the general public again ever.
My sympathies lie with the ladies who were victims of this monster, I hope their healing from these atrocious attacks will be improved knowing this lowlife will never be able to trouble them or anyone else again.
I am tempted to say "Finally! Justice!" But paragraphs 5 – 7 makes me give serious thought to the death penalty. He serves no benefit to society.
The police need to keep up this caliber of investigation that sticks and the judiciary needs to keep up this example of zero tolerance to rape and extend it to child sexual abuse as well. I'd be proud to live in a society where these types of predators get life more often than once.
The death penalty has nothing to do with "justice." It is barbaric callous act of revenge that has no place in society.
IMO – Kill and be killed!
The death penalty is wrong everywhere…to many chances to get things wrong in the police and the courts, especially here. Innocent people have been and would be killed and it many places the death penalty is used as a political tool to get rid of enemies. Do not get me wrong, I am no softy on criminals, far from it, however having seen what happens elsewhere, I would not want anyone to go the same way..
It should have not taken a 2nd rape to give him life in prison he should have gotten it the 1st time.
Best news I heard all hear from the justice system. This animal deserves to be castrated and forgotten in a dark cell for the evils I heard described.
Just threw away your life Bobo! I hope this be a lesson to youngsters! Crime doesn’t pay, Education is the key!
Caymanian
19 convictions??? He should have been locked up along time ago!! Need to change the law to "3 strikes your out"!!
55 idiots agree with you, amazing.
That is Cayman's justice system sadly… You would not believe it but there are persons within our society that have over 80 convictions! and are constantly in and out of prison…
What an incredibly terrifying situation for this poor woman. True justice would be for Barnes to spend all of his nights in Northward with someone standing over him and threatening to "cut the whole thing out". And I'm sorry, your parents getting divorced when you are ten is no excuse!!
Glad to see justice has been done. Hopefully others who commit similar crimes will be given harsh prison sentences without any possibility of parole.
I would like to see this man shot by firing squad.
Thanks Judge Quin for protecting society. You are a fair and just man.
Very sick violent prick. Lock him up for about 50 years until he is so old he cant worry about nasty sex anymore.
I taught him in school when he was 13/14. A dreadful problem but nothing was ever his fault. And the ladies in the Education Dept as usual thought the schools were not handling him properly. One of them was related to him of course. Does life mean life or does it mean 10/12 years? He needs to be locked up until he is an old man and he no longer can have sexual urges. 40 years I would suggest.
Good riddance and a big victory for all women!!!!!!!!!!!!
Animal !
This is obviously the best decision for Barnes and for society on a whole. Justice Quinn we finally getting it right.
Men like this need to be sent to venezula’s prison.
Good!!!!!
But he wont serve 'Life' in prison. Did I not hear the human rights activists appeal that a life sentence is ' in-humane' ?
Yet this very same Justice recently handed down a suspended sentence to a 40'ish year old man who broke down a bedroom door and dragged a 14 year old girl out from under the bed where she was hiding from him and raped her.
I understand that the circumstances of the case are different in that Barnes is a repeat offender and used a knife. Well gues what, that man that raped a child and you set free is probably going to be a repeat offender.
Here's why:
Repeat rapist gets life in jail.
1st time rapist rapes child and gets suspended sentence.
The legal system in these Islands is nothing more that a sad joke.
Good news.
Having known Jeffery personally from childhood I can confidently say that he deserves no less than a life sentence.
That being said, I honestly believe that he is mentally unstable – perhaps even a psychopath. Maybe he required professional help from long ago in that regard, however this will do just fine. The guy is a great danger to society … and women.
(Interesting fact: It was through him that I saw my first ever "nudie" magazine – and believe you me, I / we was / were far too young for that experience at the time.)
I can recall innocently gasping aloud; "Wha' dat is?!" To which he sneered, "Wha you tink it is fool?? Da' p—y! Ha, ha, ha, ha!!"
It was more sinister than anything else – I didn't feel embarassed – I felt … violated or "bad". Like I said, we were very young at the time. (Needless to say we didn't hang out much thereafter, as I could tell – "Something wrong wit' him!")
I cannot help but to now wonder if that was mere boyish mischief on his part or early signs of something amiss?
The only negative in all of this is how it may negatively impact on his family members – some of which are the nicest people you could ever meet.
Bye, bye Jeffery … I hope to never see your face ever again.
Sandra can take it off the registry now then so we can all forget him
Only one real way to deal with people like this – castration.
Finally, a sentence that makes sense!