Year In Review 2017: Crime

As we continue our look back at 2017 we can’t overlook the unfortunate crimes that struck our usually peaceful island. Cayman 27’s Jevaughnie Ebanks takes us through this Year In Review.

2017 began with police shooting and killing Jamaican fugitive Norvell Barrett outside a George Town apartment. They say Mr. Barrett was armed when he exited the residence following a pre-dawn police operation. On 28 January police say William Ian Rivers shot Mark Seymour dead outside Super C’s Restaurant in West Bay before taking several of his family members hostage at a nearby home. When police arrived, he shot at those officers. A stand-off took place for the next three hours. The situation ended without more loss of life.

In February police responded to a report of a shooting outside of Fete nightclub on West Bay Road. Five people were eventually arrested for the attack. Malik Mothen and Kashwayne Hewitt were later sentenced to 25 combined years behind bars.

In March,  a teacher’s aide pleaded guilty to charges against him for indecent assault on four primary school girls. In April, armed bandits shot a security guard during the robbery of an armored truck outside the Foster’s Supermarket airport branch. Two men were arrested in connection with that incident but neither was charged. Also in April, a man attacked a woman with a machete outside the George Town Post Office leaving her with chop wounds to her arm and body. He eventually pleaded guilty to carrying an offensive weapon.

In May, police say Luciano Martinez pulled the trigger in a shooting outside of Banana’s bar and restaurant. Matthew Whittaker was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, having ammunition and possession of an imitation firearm and intent to resist arrest after police say he pulled a firearm on another man outside of the Northward prison.

In August, a Caymanian man and his wife were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, 38-year-old Ronald Bennette from George Town and his wife were found inside a Ford in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

The RCIPS says an official report detailing crime statistics in the Cayman Islands will be released in 2018.