Recent Articles
Suspect ‘confessed to murder’
(CNS): As the crown opened its case on Tuesday against Leonard Antonio Ebanks for the brutal murder of Frédéric Bise in February 2008, the prosecution claimed that the West Bay man confessed twice to killing the Swiss banker. Ebanks is the second man to be tried over Bise’s death after Chad Anglin, also from West Bay, was convicted of murder in April this year. The crown claims that Ebanks was part of the joint enterprise, with the evidence against him based heavily on two confessions he is alleged to have made to two separate and unrelated people on two separate occasions in the wake of what was a particularly violent killing.
As the crown’s leading counsel began presenting the prosecution’s allegations against Ebanks, Simon Russell Flint QC, on behalf of the director of public prosecutions, said that Anglin had introduced Bise to Ebanks the night before he was killed. Anglin and Ebanks are cousins, the court heard.
The lawyer said Anglin had met Bise at the jerk chicken stand next to Kelly’s Bar in Birch Tree Hill, where he and Ebanks lived at the time. Anglin was seen by witnesses leaving Kelly’s in the banker's car in the early hours of 8 February 2008 as the bar was closing and after both men were filmed chatting on CCTV.
Bise’s badly beaten body was found five hours later in the back of his burned out car in front of the West Bay house where he was living. The prosecutor said he had been savagely attacked by his murderers and had died as a result of multiple head wounds inflicted by what the crown suspects was a brick or breeze block. Although found in the trunk of a car which was set ablaze, the body was not completely burned and a postmortem revealed that Bise, who was gay, had engaged in anal sexual activity before he was killed.
A jury of eight women and four men will hear the case over the next three weeks, with Justice Charles Quin presiding. The crown’s opening statement is expected to continue tomorrow morning at 10am in Grand Court One.
Road crashes pile up in rainy weather
(CNS): Between just after 5am and just before 11am today (Tuesday 11 November) officers from the RCIPS attended six motor collisions (one pictured left) in George Town during the wet weather. Although no serious injuries were received by anyone, police urged drivers to take greater care on the road, especially in inclement weather. Motorist are advised to increase the distance between them and the car infront to at least two car lengths in the rain to cut down on the number of crashes. Police also said that they arrested nine people over the long weekend for drinking and driving. Another 21 arrests were made for a host of other offences between Friday night and Tuesday morning.
GT man charged with rape
(CNS): A 38-year-old man has been charged with rape and possession of a prohibited weapon after an incident at the Holiday Inn, Safehaven, this weekend. The man, who is from George Town, is accused of raping a 23-year-old female resident of Grand Cayman at knife-point at the North Sound resort in the early hours of Friday morning. The police said that this was not a stranger attack but that the suspect and his victim were known to each other. The suspect was expected to appear in Summary Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Robber strikes at tourist spot
(CNS): Another popular tourist restaurant has been targeted by a masked gunman in the latest in a spree of commercial robberies in the George Town area. Police said that Paradise Restaurant on South Church Street, along the waterfront in George Town, was robbed at around 10:50 Monday night. An RCIPS spokesperson said that a lone gunman armed with a handgun entered the restaurant and demanded money from the cash register. The robber also took money from two customers atthe restaurant as well as a cell phone. A few hours later a woman wasmugged of her handbag by an unarmed man along the West Bay Road near Seven Mile Shops.
Police said the street robbery took place at 1:52 Tuesday morning, when the female resident from George Town was walking along the road. She was approached by a man who grabbed her handbag and ran off. Minor injuries were received to the complainant, who, according to police, tried to resist the mugger but no weapon was reportedly used.
Police have not given any descriptions of the suspects in either case or said in which direction the robbers ran iafter their crimes.
Anyone who has information that may be able to assist in either of these or other recent robberies are asked to contact the RCIPS Major Incident Room tip-line at 949-7777 or Crime Stoppers on 800 8477(TIPS).
Burglary suspect in hospital
(CNS): A homeowner who came home Friday to find his house in West Bay had been burgled found a man that he believed to be the culprit in the bushes near his home and tackled him. Police said that during the scuffle the alleged burglar made his escape, but after his arrest a short time later he was taken to hospital and treated for injuries he had received during the confrontation with the victim of the break-in. The homeowner had returned to his house on Batabano Road at about 2:30pm when he saw his property had been burgled. When the police arrived at the scene shortly after the scuffle, they arrested the 39-year-old West Bay man nearby.
After he was treated for the injuries he received during the fight with the homeowner, he was detained at George Town Police Station. The male homeowner also sustained minor injuries but he did not require hospital treatment. Meanwhile, the suspect was charged with burglary and common assault and was expected to appear in court Tuesday.
Bank remains mum on local job losses
(CNS Business): Following the announcement last week by Canada’s Scotiabank that it will be closing some 35 branches in the Caribbean region, with a potential loss of over 500 jobs, it is not clear how many of them will be in the Cayman Islands. Ahead of its fourth quarter earnings announcement next month, the bank said that due to the prolonged economic recovery and continued uncertain outlook it was restructuring in order to improve the speed and quality of service, to reduce costs and to achieve greater operational efficiencies but it has not yet revealed where the cuts will be. A spokesperson for the bank told CNS that the assessment of the downsizing was not yet complete and would not say if any of Cayman’s three branches would be effected. Read more on CNS Business
Red Bay’s U11s win thriller in Bodden Town
(CUC-PFL):With the resumption of the CUC Primary Football League (PFL) Saturday, Nov 8 following the mid-term break, PFL history was nearly made during the thrilling Group B Under 11 match-up between Bodden Town Primary and Red Bay Primary at the Bodden Town Primary School Field. With the final score of 5-3 in favour of Red Bay Primary, three hat-tricks were almost recorded – two by players from Red Bay Primary and one from Bodden Town Primary. For Red Bay, Elder Ebanks secured his hat-trick in the 26th, 36th and 45th minutes while in response, Bodden Town’s prolific goal scorer Jacoby Tugman scored in the 9th, 42nd and 57th minutes.
Red Bay’s, Alejandro Holness fell one short of his hat-trick by scoring in the 41st and 51st minutes.
In the Under 9 encounter between the two schools, Red Bay secured a comfortable 4-0 win with Dequan Messam and Isaac Peart each scoring twice in the first half in the 4th, 11th, 14th and 16th minutes. Bodden Town Primary put up a valiant fight in the second half to subdue the rampant Red Bay forwards.
Red Bay rounded off a perfect day when their girls defeated Bodden Town’s young ladies 4-1 with Keissy Zuniga blasting a hat-trick in the 4th, 13th and 29th minutes and Tatiana Ebanks rounding off the scoring in the 21st minute. Chloe McClemont answered for Bodden Town Primary in the 34th minute. Bodden Town’s girls were only able to field eight players but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for with heart and determination.
Other PFL results in Group B included Cayman Prep 6 vs. Prospect Primary 0 (Under 9); Cayman Prep 6 vs. Prospect Primary 0 (Under 11); Triple C 1 vs. NorthEast Schools 2 (Under 9); Triple C 1 vs. NorthEast Schools 1 (Under 11). Cayman Brac were unable to travel on Saturday morning to play South Sound Schools’ Under 11s. In Group B games in the CUC Girls’ Primary Football League (GPFL) it was Cayman Prep 4 vs. Prospect Primary 0 and Triple C 0 vs. NorthEast Schools 4.
In Group A of the PFL, it was Savannah Primary 5 vs. Sir John A. Cumber 3 (Under 9); Savannah Primary 1 vs. Sir John A. Cumber 0 (Under 11); Cayman International School 0 vs. Truth For Youth 2 (Under 9); Cayman International School 0 vs. Truth For Youth 1 (Under 11); George Town Primary 0 vs. St. Ignatius Prep 2 (Under 9); and George Town Primary 0 vs. St. Ignatius Prep 6 (Under 11).
In Group A of the GPFL it was Savannah Primary 0 vs. Sir John A. Cumber 6 and George Town Primary 0 vs. St. Ignatius Primary 6. The 2014/2015 CUC PFL and GPFL regular season continues on Saturday, November 15 with games at Savannah Primary, Bodden Town Primary, Prospect Primary, Cayman Prep, Old Man Bay Field and the Annex Field.
Two men injured in fight, shots fired at house
(CNS) Updated: Police have now arrested a 29-year-old man from East End in connection with an incident in East End early Saturday morning. Although police have not yet stated if a weapon was recovered, shots were apparently fired at a house in the district following a fight between two men. Police were called in response to the gunshots just before 2am and when they got to the scene they found that an altercation had taken place between two men, during which both received injuries. Following the fight, it appears that one of the men entered a house, which was when the shots were fired but no one was hit, police said.
Both men were taken to the hospital and treated for the injuries they received in the fight. One man now remains in police custody.
Anyone with any information or witnessed the incident is asked to contact the Bodden Town Police Station at 6492220/ 9472220 or 800-Tips (800-8477).
Woman badly injured in hit and run
(CNS): The police are appealling for witnesses to a 'hit and run' accident Sunday evening which happened on Marina Drive, Prospect. According to an RCIPS spokesperson, the woman was struck by a car at around 7:30pm as she walked along the road towards the local store. The woman was knocked unconscious and awoke with serious injuries to her body. She was able to alert a motorist, who called 911. Police say they have no description yet of the vehicle involved and are appealing to anyone who was in the Marina Drive area Sunday evening between 7:30pm and 8:05pm to contact Inspector Adrian Barnett at 526-2204 or 800-TIPS (8477).
Boat explodes in Newlands
(CNS): Homes in North Sound Estates, Newlands were shaken Monday night after a boat moored in the canal exploded. Fire crews fought what became an intense blaze which appears to have completely destroyed the vessel, according to reports on Cayman27. Police have now confirmed that they are investigating the cause of what witnesses said were two explosions aboard the boat and the subsequent fire. The explosions, which were said to be significant were heard by residents in the area at around 10:30pm.
No one was hurt or on board the boat which is believed to belong to the brother of East End MLA Arden McLean.