Headline News
Robbery ‘victim’ changes tune
(CNS): Updated 10:45am — While police reported yesterday that at around 11.15 am that day, Wednesday 2 March, officers received a report that a man had been robbed at gunpoint outside a house in Dogwood Street, Prospect., this morning they said that the alleged victim would not confirm the robbery. The RCIPS said the man stated in the initial report that cash and jewellery were taken during the incident and that he was uninjured. However, they when the police arrived he became uncooperative, refused to confirm any details of what took place or provide a description of the alleged suspect. "Therefore we are unable to provide any confirmation that the incident took place or that the circumstances, as initially reported to police, are correct," and RCIPS spokesperson said.
The incident, if it took place, was the 14th robbery of 2011, and despite the significant number of arrests made by police recently, including yesterday when three suspects were apprehended after a robbery at the Tortuga store in West Bay, the perpetrators of these violent crimes seem to be limitless. In most cases the suspects are using firearms to threaten people and businesses for very small quantities of cash, a trend which, experts say, illustrates a growing use of crack cocaine on Grand Cayman.
NS campaign gathers pace
(CNS): The Save Cayman campaign opposing the development of a channel in the North Soundis growing fast and campaigners hope to have volunteers stationed across Grand Cayman this weekend gathering signatures for a petition. Since the premier announced his intention to dredge the North Sound in order to create a channel that would allow mega yachts to pass through those opposed to the project for both economic and environmental reasons have been growing in numbers. A CNS straw poll posted on Monday already reveals that 84% of voters think the channel is terrible idea. Campaigners are concerned, however, that with the premier’s enthusiasm for the channel there is little time to waste in ensuring the anti-channel message gets out.
The premier has said that he hopes to sign a memorandum of understanding with the proposed developers before the end of March to dredge a channel at the western end of the sound near to Barkers point to connect with the canal at Morgan’s Harbour.
Two islands that are said to be a mile in diameter will be reclaimed and will be used to enhance the project, McKeeva Bush revealed in the Legislative Assembly last week, and added that government would be putting in the necessary infrastructure. He said Cayman had to “use its assets” in order to grow the economy.
The premier has made it clear that he does not believe the channel will cause any serious harm and has dismissed critics of the project, whom he says are opposed to the idea without knowing all the facts. Although Bush has stated on a number of occasions that he would not go ahead with the project if the Sandbar was threatened, a considerable number of people believe that it would be at risk, leading to the loss of Cayman’s primary tourist attraction, Stingray City.
Save Cayman started this weekend in order to focus the opposition to the channel under one umbrella, and campaigners say that not only is Stingray City at risk but the whole of Grand Cayman faces a much greater tsunami threat during a major hurricane as well. The question of who will benefit from the development as opposed to those in danger of losing their livelihood is also an issue which has been raised by a number of bloggers on CNS as well as the campaigners.
Furthermore, the demand from the mega yacht community to come to Grand Cayman is also in question as little research has been done to establish at what level that would be and what sort of numbers the island could expect. Anecdotal evidence suggests that those owners who do choose to come have expressed a preference for being in the Seven Mile Beach area.
The opposition party raised its concerns yesterday when Alden McLaughlin spoke to CNS, stating that the PPM has always had reservations about dredging a channel in the North Sound and that to rush into such a project was foolhardy at best.
Despite the premier’s discussions with the developers and the goal to have an MOU signed shortly, with construction set to start before the year end, the director of the Department of the Environment has said that no one has yet discussed the proposal with the department. Gina Ebanks-Petrie said that she would recommend a full environmental impact assessment which would also examine other means of achieving the government’s objectives without the need for dredging the channel.
In the wake of planning permission given to the Ritz Carlton developer last year to dredge canals as deep as 20 feet, the director recently said that there has been considerable research which finds that even canals dug beyond 9 feet, the limit recommend by the Wickstead Report as far back as 1976, caused serious environmental problems, from negative impacts on water quality to the reduction of biodiversity.
The Save Cayman campaign is being spearheaded by Captain Bryan Ebanks with the assistance of other concerned citizens. The goal, he says, is to get as many hands on deck as possible this weekend to ensure that everyone who is opposed to the development gets a chance to sign the petition and expresstheir concern.
“There is a lot to be done and if we had a few other committed people to work collaboratively with us we believe we could have a greater impact,” said Capt Ebanks as he asked for people to volunteer their time. “We have very little time to work with as Mr Bush is pushing forward with or without the blessing of the people. We need our voices to be loud. We need our message to be heard.”
Anyone who can assist with the campaign is asked to contact either Capt. Banks at savecayman@gmail.com – more details can also be found on the Save Cayman FaceBook page.
Go to the CNS poll:
Are you in favour of dredging a channel in the North Sound to accommodate mega yachts?
Prangs and smashes continue
(CNS): Despite the constant warning and urging by police for people to improve their standard of driving, the accident toll on Grand Cayman keeps on rising. While some prangs are considerably less serious than others, the number of more serious smashes is still high for the size of the population. In the last five days drivers have crashed into a George Town store, had a serious collision on the bypass and even, ironically, smashed into the sign at the vehicle and licensing department. According to the latest information available on the 911 call log, in the first 12 days of 2011 there were 43 motor vehicle accidents reported to emergency services and in at least ten of those people were injured. (Photos Dennie Warren Jr)
On Sunday a driver, who witnesses said appeared to be drunk, ran into Arthur Bodden’s wooden print shop, a historic building on North Church Street in downtown George Town, causing extensive damage. On Saturday night two cars were damaged when they narrowly escaped a head on collision, and last Thursday morning one driver crashed into the sign at the new Department of Vehicle Licensing.
The police commissioner has called for legislation to ban cell phone use while driving and increase fines for driving offences. At a recent press briefing David Baines said that appalling driving standards were endemic. According to the latest police statistics, there were 1,374 road accidents in Cayman last year, which included seven deaths. Although accidents increased by 4% in 2010 compared to 2009, the history of road traffic accidents in Cayman is high. In 2008 there were over 1,500 smashes and 1,430 in 2007.
Despite the continued campaigns by the RCIPS and the pleas from senior officers, the accident toll remains disproportionate for the size of the driving population and the miles of road, with many accidents being single vehicle crashes. Baines said that the 300 collisions that took place in the last six-weeks of 2010 illustrated that there was a lot of work to be done to educate drivers.
“Drink driving, the use of cell phones while driving, speed and appalling driving standards are endemic and all of these issues will be addressed in our planned National Road Safety Strategy,” he said. “Too many lives have been lost on our roads – and that’s why two years ago we made some significant recommendations to legislators. These include raising fines, banning cell phones and introducing new road traffic charges.”
However, he said that the police could only enforce the legislation that is in place and the RCIPS needed the backing of legislators to make the roads of the Cayman Islands safe. “We look forward to the days when our recommendations are passed into law,” he added.
PPM: Bush sounds desperate
(CNS): The country’s premier is grasping at straws and undermining the credibility of the jurisdiction with the constantly changing announcements over development projects, the leader of the opposition said this week. Following McKeeva Bush’s recent switch of focus from the East End Seaport to the development of an oil refinery and the dredging of the North Sound for a channel, Alden McLaughlin said the premier was sounding desperate. He said the opposition was very concerned about the announcements regarding the channel and the party was opposed to dredging the North Sound as there are real fears about the loss of the Sand Bar. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
“I understand, given the economic hardship that we are facing, the premier feels the need to get a tangible project off the ground to create some stimulus for the economy. I can even sympathizewith that, but these grand announcements from month to month are undermining the credibility of the jurisdiction,” he stated.
McLaughlin added that the premier’s comments that one project after another was due to start before the end of the year were unrealistic as, he added, it takes months and months to get major projects of this scale off the ground and to suggest he can go from an MOU to construction in under nine months on these type of public/ private partnerships was not only implausible but some of the ideas were downright dangerous.
“There is a danger of the government jumping into a major project in the near future as a desperate measure, which could have very serious long term irreversible implications for the country,” McLaughlin warned. He said the issue of dredging was of particular concerned and that at the very least there would have to be an independent environmental impact assessment undertaken because one controlled by government when a policy decision has already been made would be likely to reflect that position.
The new opposition leader added that he was not fundamentally opposed to dredging for its own sake as he said there have been times when it has proved to be successful but, he said, the idea of a channel in the North Sound has always been considered as a very risky proposition.
The premier has recently stated that he intends to dredge the North Sound to create a channel that will allow mega yachts to pass through to a new marina development as it has now become necessary. The project is believed to have been proposed by a group of Chinese investors and will included the creation of two islands, which sources state will be a mile in diameter.
McLaughlin said that the opposition party was not just opposed to this or other projects for the sake of it as, he noted, the PPM supported the development of cruise berthing in George Town and also believed the special economic zone and the proposed science and technology park was a very positive proposal which the opposition would support. He also said the PPM was not opposed to Dr Devi Shetty’s proposed hospital, and although in terms of sheer magnitude there were some reservations, he would like to see the development of medical tourism, but said he still had no idea if it was likely to come to fruition.
Despite offering support in principle to projects that he said could benefit all Caymanians, he said the party remained opposed to the East End Seaport, which along with idea of an oil refinery just did not sit alongside the concept of a pristine tourism product. He also said the announcements regarding the oil refinery were fantastical, and despite claims of it being a state of the art facility by those who have proposed the project to government, McLaughlin said he would still have to be convinced that such a proposal could work in the Cayman Islands.
“The premier is grasping at straws in order to inject some confidence into the economy, which is understandable, but the constant announcements with no action will not help in the goal of attracting investors,” McLaughlin warned.
Is it a good idea to build an oil refinery on Grand Cayman?
Are you in favour of dredging a channel in the North Sound to accommodate mega yachts?
CID bank loans up by 35%
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Development Bank increased its lending during 2010 by some 35%, the premier revealed recently. The increase is due to a demand for affordable loans and assistance given to Caymanians experiencing serious difficulties with both personal and business finances. In the special financial stimulus programme backed by government the bank loaned just over $4.2 million to 56 customers to help avoid mortgage foreclosures, catch up on arrears, consolidate other debts and for small business financing. The premier said the gravity of debt issues facing residents was apparent from the take up of debt counselling services offered by the bank.
As of 31 January, the CIDB had a loan portfolio of over $40.7 million compared to just over $30 milllion at the financial year end of 30 June 2009, representing a 35% increase, McKeeva Bush told his colleagues in the Legislative Assembly last week. The bank, he said, was continuing to try and raise more financing at affordable rates in order to assist more people and had also restructured its own debt, reducing the interest the bank pays by $800,000 per year.
“Since the stimulus program the bank continues to increase its reach to families, small businesses and students,” Bush told the House. “This increase has been made possible through additional borrowings which were supported by the government. This included two bonds of US $5milllion each.”
The bank gave out seven loans totalling $1.4 million to prevent foreclosures on people’s homes, nearly $2 million was loaned out for for 29 different debt consolidations, six loans were given for arrears regularisation and 14 small business loans were given, totalling $824,143.
The bank, he added, is actively reviewing all existing loan files to examine ways to reduce the loan delinquencies and to devise restructuring solutions to assist customers where possible. Bush said the bank had been instrumental in assisting those in need during the past 18 months.
“The CIDB has undertaken a rigorous process of reviewing its existing loan portfolio with a view to strengthening its financial position as well as to provide assistance to its clients wherever restructuring of their loans is possible,” he stated. “All of this has been achieved while lowering its cost of funding through refinancing to take advantage of market conditions and maintain low operating costs.”
He congratulated Paul Byles, the bank board’s chairman, for what he said was his “very hard work” in stabilising and strengthening the bank.
The CIDB is a statutory authority owned by the government. It was established in 2002 to raise and provide financing for the economic development of the country. Its role is to supplement the activities of the local commercial banks by lending to small businesses, the housing sector and human resource development.
Cops catch latest robbers
(CNS): Police have arrested three men following an armed robbery which took place at the Tortuga store in West Bay this afternoon (Monday 28 February) after stopping what was believed to be the getaway on Easterly Tibbetts Highway. Officers said the robbery took place at about 2.30pm when two men armed with what appeared to be a firearm entered the Tortuga shop next to the Cracked Conch Restaurant on North West Point Road. The men threatened staff, though no shots were fired and no one was hurt, before the men fled the scene with a small sum of cash. The suspects ran off towards the Turtle Farm and one was seen entering a green Hyundai motor car. (Photos Dennie WarrenJr)
Police attended the scene and a short time later officers stopped the suspect vehicle close to Camana Bay, where the driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of robbery.
Following a subsequent police operation in the West Bay area two other men were arrested in connection with the incident, both of whom were also arrested on suspicion of robbery. Police said that all three men currently remain in police custody while enquiries are ongoing.
This is the 14th armed robbery of 2011 on Grand Cayman and despite several arrests recently by the police there seems to be little let up in the increasing frequency of the incidents, which are averaging almost two per week or one robbery every 4.2 days.
It is not clear how many customers if any were in the store when the robbery took place but there were four cruise ships docked in George Town Monday. The store is situated between the Turtle Farm, the Cayman Car Museum, one of the dolphinariums as well as the Cracked Conch restaurant and Macabuca Tiki bar, all of which are popular tourist locations.
Channel could spell disaster
(CNS): Government’s proposal to dredge a channel in the North Sound could spell both economic as well as environmental disaster for Cayman. A campaign started by a group of local captains against the project has already widened to attract people throughout the community who oppose the project as a result of concerns that not only could Stingray City be lost but the whole of Grand Cayman could be greatly exposed when a hurricane hits the islands. The captains say the premier has not been open about how deep and wide the channel needs to be to accommodate mega yachts and has downplayed the size of the planned project.
Captain Bryan Ebanks, who is spearheading the community campaign “Save Cayman” against the channel, said everyone needs to understand this is not just an issue that will impact the local captains that use the North Sound for tours but the whole community. The potential loss of Stingray City alone, he said, would have a knock-on economic impact on the wider economy that could be extremely significant and the environmental impact could be truly disastrous.
“In the event that we have another hurricane resembling Ivan, this opening in the reef would allow the ocean to rush unabated down this trench onto the North Sound shores of West Bay and onto the North Sound shores of the Seven Mile Beach,” the captain said. Experts believe that the great force of the sea would stop at the North Sound shores of George Town, and with nowhere to go it would slam into the shores of George Town Barcadere, creating a tsunami.
“This would likely flood all of George Town, most of South Sound on the coastline all the way up to Newlands. If this scenario is correct, this would be a national disaster on a scale that this island would probably not recover from,” Ebanks added.
The premier told the Legislative Assembly last week that he would be pressing ahead with the project to construct a channel in the North Sound, having received a proposal from Chinese investors. He said it would not be as big as past proposals but two new islands would be created as part of the project.
The campaigners say that the premier is not being transparent about the details of the size of the channel or the islands. “In order to accommodate a mega yacht it is reasonable to estimate that a 200 foot wide channel that is 50 to 60 feet deep will be required,” Ebanks said, explaining that it would have to at the very least accommodate two mega yachts passing each other.
Professor Dr Harry H Roberts, a Marine Biologist from Louisiana State University, confirmed that there would be implications to the North Sound system if the reef was opened up by dredging a channel and it could be the case that the Stingray City Sand Bar could disappear.
Department of Environment (DOE) Director, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, has stated that the sediment plumes being kicked up by even small boats, are caused by the re-suspension of sediments that were released during past dredging which have since been redistributed by wind and wave activity.
Speaking specifically about the latest proposal she said that the DoE would be recommending that government undertake an environmental impact assessment but she said so far no one had spoken to the department about the proposals.
Petrie also pointed out that the EIA should examine the economic argument for a mega yacht marina on the north coast and to look at whether government objectives behind the proposal could be met in another way that would not pose such a risk to the environment.
The campaigners say they will be circulating a petition this week and will be writing an official letter to government setting out the main reasons for their objections and what they say are very genuine dangers associated with the project.
“Our national treasure, the Sand Bar, could disappear,” Ebanks added, pointing out that Stingray City remains the islands’ most popular tourist attraction and, as a key driver for the cruise lines, the trickle down effect of losing Stingray City would have a severe economic impact on everyone who depends on tourism for a living.
“Dredging a channel would destroy and disrupt the North Sound as the currents would revolve around the basin, creating sediment which would smooth a large percentage if not all of the coral. It would no longer be a habitat and a spawning area for many of the creatures that replenish the rest of the reefs of the island,” he said.
The captain also queried the benefits of encouraging mega yacht owners to Cayman, as claimed by the premier. He pointed out that the vessels come equipped with everything on board and occupants have no need to buy supplies and only require a small amount of services. “As such their contributions to our economy will be minimal,” the captain warned. “The introduction of mega yachts to the Cayman Islands would provide very few jobs for local Caymanians as most of these vessels are not docked in any one spot for an extended period of time.”
He said the only people likely to gain any significant benefit from the project would be the developers.
“This island is looking for a quick fix solution and we seem to be expecting someone to save us. No community can be built upon this type of false foundation,” Ebanks lamented as he warned of the dangers of allowing short term financial gains to influence important decisions. “This is a national issue that will affect every living Caymanian, resident, current and future tourist. This is an issue that we cannot afford to remain silent about.”
In his recent public comment about the proposed project, Bush has said he will not be stopped by the critics as he believes the channel is necessary and will not cause any significant damage to the environment as he says it has been done elsewhere safely. The premier stated that it would bring enormous benefit and Cayman had to use its assets to turn the economy around.
Capt. Ebanks and the group are asking for volunteers who can help distribute campaign materials and assist with the campaign in general. The goal is to begin collecting signatures and educate as manypeople and start an open community conversation about the wider implications of the government’s project. More details of the campaign are available on Facebook or people can email savecayman@gmail.com.
Vote in CNS poll: Are you in favour of dredging a channel in the North Sound to accommodate mega yachts?
Kidnap victim reveals ordeal
(CNS): Tyson Tatum revealed how he was beaten, gagged and bound by three men, when he gave evidence last week in the Grand Court trial of two of the four men accused of kidnapping him for a ransom of $500k last year. Tatum said he was lured to an address in North Side on the pretence of repairing wave-runners but on arrival he was set upon by three men who beat him into submission as he struggled to escape. The victim said he fought with the men for more than five minutes before they threatened to kill him and he gave up the fight to save his life. He revealed how the men had kicked him in the head and face, tied his arms and feet, put duct tape over his eyes and mouth and left him lying on bathroom floor for several hours.
The twenty-three-year-old, who works in his family’s construction business, told the court that a man who called himself Robert, whom he identified as the defendant Charles Webster, met him at Driftwood on the morning of the incident, which took place in March 2010.
He followed the man to a house on the beach side between Driftwood and Rum Point, where he was told the wave-runners were. As he stepped inside the property, Tatum said, he was pushed inside and jumped by the two other men as the three of them kicked, choked and punched him until he was subdued by the largest of the abductors, who, he said, was around 300lbs. He identified this man as the defendant Allen Kelly.
The kidnappers took his jewellery as they bound and gagged him and he began to beg for his life. He described how he was dragged to a bathroom, where he lay on the floor for several hours. Although blindfolded with the duct tape, Tatum said he could peer under it slightly, giving him an idea of his surroundings but with the tape over his mouth he could do no more than mumble. Eventually, he said, Kelly came and picked him up from the floor and placed him on a chair. He retied his hands from behind Tatum’s back in front of him and gave him some water.
Tatum described how he lost track of time but believes he was left alone with Kelly for several hours, the first person to offer some indication as to why he had been abducted. Tatum was told that it had something to do with a deal which had gone wrong between his father, his brother-in-law Richard Hurlstone and Hurlstone’s brother, and the kidnapper’s “big boss” was not happy.
“I asked him if they were going to kill me,” Tatum told the court and he said Kelly told him he didn’t know but believed everything would be all right.
Soon after the two other men returned and it was then the ransom calls to Tatum’s mother began. He said that Webster told him what to say and held a knife to his throat as he made the call, holding the phone to the kidnap victim’s head. Tatum said he was instructed to tell his mother he had been abducted and that the kidnappers wanted US$500,000 and that she was not to go the police, otherwise they would kill him. After the call the kidnappers told Tatum that all they had to do now was wait.
Tatum described how, as the evening drew near, he was taken to a bedroom and placed on a bed. He was given some food and the kidnappers came into the room to talk to him. He said that they were smoking ganja together and he did his best to try and find out who the kidnappers were and what was really going on.
He learned that the kidnapping was connected to this deal with the man the kidnappers called "the big boss" who had sent the men to take care of him. Tatum revealed how he pressed for more information but they would not reveal more details. He said they talked about how they would let him go once they had the money but if he ever talked they would take him on a boat and feed him to the sharks. He said the men also threatened to kill his daughter, and while he considered their talk of sharks foolishness, he took the threat against his child seriously.
Tatum described how the kidnappers knew a lot about him and his family and how they told him how they had connections with the local police, so he should not try to involve them. Eventually, he said, the men left him in the room alone, still tied up, and checked on him periodically throughout the night. Sometime early the next morning the kidnappers came in the room and said that hopefully things would go as planned that day.
The kidnappers again forced Tatum to call his mother to find out if she had got the cash and was told what to say as the knife was held to his throat and the phone to his ear. His mother said she was getting the money but had to wait for the bank to find the notes.
After a few more ransom calls with his mother as she continued to try and get the money, Tatum said the men then tied him to a chair in the bathroom before he heard someone leave. Sometime in the afternoon he realized that all three had gone and he was left alone. It was then that he began to try and work his hands free from the ties and managed eventually to pull out one hand and remove his duct tape blindfold. He immediately saw a box of matches on the side which he used to melt the plastic ties and was able to remove the rest of the duct tape before he fled from the house.
Tatum described how he ran along the beach in North Side until he found a house where a family was home who let him use their phone. He called his mother to tell her he had escaped and would be heading back to his house in Newlands. He told the court that the man at the house where he used thephone then gave him a ride to his home, where he hid until the police came.
The trial continues with the crown’s case against Kelly and Webster Monday. Although the crown has been granted an application to try Richard Hurlstone in his absence after he absconded to Honduras while on bail, the prosecutors were unable to try Hurlstone alongside Kelly and Webster, who had requested a judge alone trial, after a ruling by the judge last week.
Although all defendants in the Cayman Islands judicial system have the right to request a judge alone trial, in the case of multiple defendants it must be unanimous. With the prosecution given the right by the court to try Hurlstone in his absence but who was not present to offer an election, Hurlstone’s trial would automatically have to be with a jury.
The defence attorneys for both Webster and Kelly, therefore, made an application to sever as they pointed out that their clients’ right to a judge alone trial was being undermined by the one defendant in the case that had absconded, and that couldn’t be fair. In what is believed to be the first ruling of its kind in the jurisdiction, Justice Harrison agreed with the defence and split the trials.
Delivery man abducted
(CNS): Updated with descriptions –Police have now released descriptions of the three men who abducted a cigarette delivery driver on Friday in West Bay. They are also asking the public and business owners to be on the lookout for the cigarettes that they believed will be sold unofficially and to contact West Baydetectives if they have any information. The three men who abducted and robbed the 42-year-old driver and his van from outside Joe & Ima’s Way Side Store in Boatswain Bay at gun point at around 11am are described as about 5’8" in height, medium build, brown complexion, about 5’7" in height, slim build, dark complexion and about 5’1" in height, slim build, dark complexion and described as having ‘red’ eyes.(Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
The cigarettes stolen in the robbery were Vogue, Rothmans, Benson and Hedges, Craven A, Newport, Dunhill and Kool. A quantity of Skoal and Copenhagen chewing tobacco was also taken. Detective Sergeant Dave Morrison is appealing for anyone who has information about cigarettes being sold unofficially, or who has been offered cigarettes for sale, to contact the police immediately.
"If you have any information about cigarettes or tobacco being sold unofficially we want to hear from you," he said adding that anyone who bought stolen property was committing a criminal offence.
The abduction and robbery took place on Friday 25 February when the delivery man was abducted at gunpoint. The suspects came from behind the store, threatened him and forced their way into his van. They drove him to the Salt Creek dykes area where they transferred a quantity of cigarettes and cash from his van into a white Ford E350 or E250 boxed shaped vehicle. The suspects then drove off, leaving the victim and his van in Salt Creek where he was found by police officers a short time later.
Anyone with information about the cigarettes or the incident should contact West Bay CID on 949-3999 or the confidential Crime Stoppers number 800-8477(TIPS).
Arrests for tourist mugging
(CNS): Three men have been arrested in connection with the Bare Foot Beach robbery, in which a couple visiting the Cayman Islands from the United States was robbed in broad daylight on the beach in East End on Monday, 7 February, around noon. Police said the men aged 20, 21 and 30, were arrested this morning on suspicion of robbery followingan early morning operation in the East End of Grand Cayman and remain in police custody while enquiries continue. As part of the same operation another man was arrested. He is in custody on suspicion of possession of drugs. The drug concerned is a small quantity of, what is believed to be, crack cocaine.
During the incident the man and woman, who had parked their hire car in a pathway off the Queens Highway next to Barefoot Beach, were threatened by three robbers while sitting on the beach. Police said the couple was suddenly confronted by three men who all had their faces covered by t-shirts, two of which were armed with a baseball bat and a knuckleduster. One of the men grabbed the male tourist, placed him in a headlock and demanded cash and the victims handed over a wallet containing a small amount of money. As the suspects were making off from the scene they smashed the window of the couple’s hire car with the baseball bat and stole a camera.
While details of the incident were not immediately released by the RCIPS, the couple described their experience on a tourist blog site, and after enquiries by the local media, the RCIPS confirmed that the robbery had taken place the next day.
Detectives in Bodden Town are once again appealing for anyone who has any information which could assist the investigation into the Bare Foot Beach robbery to call 947-2220 or Crime Stoppers 800-8477 (TIPS).