Headline News
Port will reclaim 8 acres for upland destination
(CNS): Tourism stakeholders heard on Wednesday that the project to create cruise berthing facilities in George Town will reclaim some eight acres from the ocean for the upland development. West Bay MLA Cline Glidden said that DECCO, the developer, will be recouping its investment in the project by a combination of usage fees from the cruise lines and from its own use of the upland area. Although government says it is restricting DECCO from flooding the upland with retail units, the developer will be free to create a other facilities within this new waterfront development. Glidden said that it may include a mega yacht marina, an amphitheatre a hotel and restaurants.
Ebanks takes stand and denies murder
(CNS): Following the closure on Thursday morning of the crown’s case against Brandon Leslie-Ebanks, Osbourne Douglas and Patrick McField for the murder of Omar Samuels, the defence attorneys were given the opportunity to call witnesses. Attorneys for Douglas and McField opted not to do so, but Leslie-Ebanks took to the stand himself and also called two witnesses to vouch for his whereabouts on the night Samuels was killed. Leslie-Ebanks told the court he did not kill Samuels and repeated the same account of his activities that night as the one he had given to the police twice before. Despite being pressed by the solicitor general that he had shot Samuels, Ebanks said, “No ma’am I had no part in shooting anyone.”
Cops say killing gang related
(CNS): Police have appealed for witnesses to the killing of Tyrone Burrell (20), who was shot in Birch Tree Hill area of West Bay last night. Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden said the shooting was believed to be gang related and it took place in the same yard as the killing of Damion Ming in March. Bodden said Burrell was shot during a social event attended by a number of people, who all scattered when the shots were fired. Police have spoken to a number of people but are asking others who were there that have not yet spoken to them to come forward. The senior officer said police are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry, including the possibillity Burrell had knowledge of Ming’s death. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
He said the young victim was not a police witness in the case but the RCIPS had reason to believe that he did have information he had chosen not to disclose.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday afternoon Bodden stated that extensive enquiries have already been conducted and he was pleased that there was some improvement in the willingness of the community to help the police. He also asked the community to remain calm and appealed for anyone else who could assist to come forward.
Carers cleared to stay
(CNS): The country’s premier says he has a legal opinion which has cleared the introduction of a special certificate to allow domestic workers looking after the sick and elderly to bypass rollover without have the right to claim residency. As government pushed through the amendment to the Immigration law in parliament yesterday, McKeeva Bush stated that he had been advised that every state is allowed to determine its own conditions of residence. The question was raised by the opposition benches when they said that, while they supported the idea of allowing special care givers the right to stay, there were concerns that this method would lead to a number of legal challenges.
Man shot dead in West Bay
(CNS): Police now have confirmed that a twenty-year-old man has been shot dead at a home in the Birch Tree Hill area of West Bay this evening (Wednesday 8 September). Offices are currently at the scene where it is believed the shooting took place a little after 8pm. Officials were unable to give any more details about the circumstances of the shooting but say they have launched a murder investigation. A police spokesperson stated that the RCIPS expects to be able to update the public with more details tomorrow morning but did not say if any arrests had been made. The police helicopter was deployed in the area soon after the incident. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
This is the sixth murder of 2010 and the seventh death as a result of a gun. The last murder was that of Damion Ming in the same area of West Bay in March. Harryton Rivers was then shot and killed by a homeowner who was a licensed firearms holder during an attempted burglary in July.
PPM complains laws rushed
(CNS): The opposition says that government is rushing laws through the legislature without proper consultation and closing down public discussion periods on important new bills. PPM member for George Town, Alden McLaughlin, complained in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday morning that, once again, government was rushing laws through the House by suspending Standing Orders and giving little or no time for these new laws to be properly considered by the opposition as well as the wider community. The former Cabinet member said this constant suspending of Standing Orders was not only resulting in poorly crafted laws but it was also unconstitutional. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Population too small says Mac
(CNS): According to the 2009 edition of the Cayman Islands Compendium of Statistics, the country’s population had fallen to 52,830 at the end of 2009. This 7.3% drop is too few people, the premier said today when he and the country’s legislators returned to the Legislative Assembly after a two month break. McKeeva Bush said the fall might be welcome to some people but for a country dependent on services a fall in the population also meant a fall in its economic fortunes. He said that, as people left Cayman, other jurisdictions were benefiting from the country’s losses. While the global recession was taking its toll on the economy, he said, the fall in the number of people here was also major contributor to the economy’s poor performance.
Last minute witness called
(CNS): Another teenage girl has now said that she also witnessed the murder of Omar Samuels in July of last year. The 17-year-old girl gave evidence from behind a screen during the trial of Brandon Leslie-Ebanks, Osbourne Douglas and Patrick McField on Tuesday saying she saw three men, two of whom were carrying guns, approach Samuels and shoot him at a house off McField Lane. The last minute witness said she was with her best friend that night, a girl who gave evidence at the opening of the trial. However, after she had given her account of the night’s events to the court it was revealed that this last minute prosecution witness had given a different account in her statement to police a few weeks after the crime than the one she gave to the court.
Woman dies from injuries suffered in road hit
(CNS): A 59-year-old woman died yesterday (Tuesday) in the US following an accident on Grand Cayman in April, the RCIPS has reported. Jane O’Neill from Massachusetts, who was visiting the island, was struck by two vehicles in West Bay Road on the 19 April just after 7:00 in the evening as she tried to cross the road by the Strand Shopping Centre. The victim received multiple injuries and was initially treated in the Critical Care Unit at the George Town Hospital. As the investigation has now changed status police are asking for any witnesses who were in the area to come forward. (Photo courtesy of News 27)
Following the accident, in which O’Neill was hit by one car and then reportedly knocked into the path of a second, was airlifted to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital in Florida for treatment. She was subsequently transferred to the Brigham Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she passed away yesterday, Monday 6 September.
A 48-year-old man was arrested following the incident on suspicion of dangerous driving. He is currently on police bail. Police said enquiries into the incident are ongoing and have asked for further information from the public.
Cops made to face lie detector
(CNS): At least forty serving RCIPS officers have been forced to take a polygraph test, sources have revealed to CNS. The reason for the testing is unclear but it is said to be causing real concern among serving officers, who believe those who fail will be discriminated against. The police management has neither confirmed nor denied that the testing is taking place and a police spokesperson stated that it is not RCIPS policy “to comment on vetting procedures”. However, it is understood that the testing is ongoing and more officers are expected to be subjected to the lie detector test.