Robber with mental age of child jailed for 2+years

| 22/12/2017 | 15 Comments

(CNS): A young man who was described by his lawyer as having the mental capacity of a 9-year-old child was jailed Thursday for 27 months for an opportunist street mugging in George Town two years ago. Charles Walton, who was 18 when he robbed a woman on the West Bay Road, cutting her purse straps with a machete, had been on a crime spree on the night in question. It had started with a burglary at the Cabana restaurant in George Town, where he and several of his friends stole beer and tequila from an unlocked cabinet in the outside bar.

While most of Walton’s friends had confined their offending to the petty theft of $144 worth of booze, which was caught on CCTV, he went on later that evening to mug the woman as she walked along the road near to Cayman Reef Resort. The court heard that Walton was “drunk and charged up” and wanted more to drink when he decided to take the victim’s bag. When she tried to hold on to her possessions, a tussle ensued, and that was when Walton cut the straps with the machete and made off with her bag, leaving the victim with a dislocated finger.

Othneil Williams, who was part of the group with Watlon, was convicted of handling stolen goods after he took a Tissot watch from the woman’s bag when Walton returned to his friends with the loot. Laying out the mitigating factors on Williams’ behalf, his lawyer had described him as acting impulsively and “like a magpie grabbing a shiny object”.

Meanwhile, Walton’s difficulties were aired in the court when his lawyer outlined his serious mental health issues from a young age as he suffers from ADHA disorder, among other things. “We can be sure that prison is the wrong place for him,” his lawyer told the court.

But given the severity of the crime, Justice Charles Quin had no option but to send Walton to jail. The judge said this was a “nasty and unpleasant serious crime” that left the victim shocked and scared.

The judge considered Walton’s mental health problems and his late plea in mitigation, but given his long list of convictions, he handed down a term of two years and three months and a concurrent sentence for the alcohol burglary of three months. Time served was ordered to be taken into consideration.

Williams, who admitted handling the watch, which the court heard was returned to the victim, was given a six-month suspended sentence for that offence, alongside a 12-month probation order with 100 hours of community service for his part in the theft from the Cabana.

Andrianna Ebanks and Darrell Williams, who were also involved in stealing the beer and tequila, were also given a 12-month probation order and directed to complete 100 hours of community service after they pled guilty.

Tags: , ,

Category: Courts, Crime, Mental Health

Comments (15)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    There is no mechanism on this Island to deal with persons of limited mental capacity. It is sad but true. I do not know this young man, nor his issues. But, I do know it is a nightmare trying to get anyone in Government to deal with any issue regarding mental health. Look at Paul, covered in excrement, a fixture of filth in GT. Look at Sharon, with her shopping cart, haunting tourist areas. Look at poor Alice, lost in a sea of despair on Westbay Rd. They need help. And they have been forsaken by our fat government.

  2. Michael says:

    This has come down to poor parenting. Charles had many interventions. His family were not supportive to any. He does not have the capacity of a 9 year old. He is a right young man who is spoiled and never had to work hard for anything in his life.

    Tragically, what happens to young men like Charles, they have no boundaries. They grow up and realize that the world does not give a shit about who they are. Because they have no ambition and cannot Compete in today society, they steal and rob.

    • Anonymous says:

      Not at the primary level….maybe at secondary some were implemented, but early intervention has way more effect than later interventions. We can see it happening, and the criminal mentality developing, even from a young age….but nothing is done. Talk to the primary school teachers….often these students run the school….and nothing is done.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I worked with Charles when he was at Red Bay Primary. Even from a young age we knew this was the trajectory that he would take. There was no support in the school for him. I actually disagree that he has the mental age of a 9 year old….maybe his reading level is that of a nine year, but he was very savvy, even from a young age.

    The fact of the matter is, there are hundreds just like him, who have been passed through the school system, and we all know they will end up maybe bad choices….criminal choices, but nothing is done to help them…..and society suffers. Buckle up folks…its gonna be a bumpy ride.

    • Dunz says:

      The reason he and others are not provided with services is because it is much easier to blame an expat or Jamaican and send a few home.

    • Jackie says:

      I can’t say that this news has come as a big surprise.
      For those who are wondering, Charlie heritage is Honduran/Caymanian. Nothing was wrong with Charlie back on his Red Bay Primary School days, and I am certain that nothing is wrong now. My heart is aching, as a mother. This child was write off from the principal right down to every teacher that had an opportunity to make a difference in his life. They just didn’t cared enough.
      He was a handful but I think he was seeking attention more than anything else. He was left to his working grandmother to raise him, I could only imagine how difficult could be for a child to deal with rejection at such an early age. For those of you who are thinking that it is an excuse to become a criminal, well sadly, we are not all equally wired, so he built whatever mechanism worked better to mascarate his feeling. Charlie became whatever it was spoken over his life. It is a pity that all those so called Christian teachers and the then principal knew better but because “it wasn’t their problem ” they chose the easy way out, just dumped him into society. I know for sure one of those individuals from RBPS got a taste of her own medicine when one of her precious boys got arrested for armed robbery and served time in Northward. Not rejoicing here, just saying that if you can’t help another person, don’t curse them either. I pray that Charlie learn from this experience and become a better person once he is out. As for the victim, I’m really sorry that she had to go through such an ordeal, Cayman Islands is a beautiful place, and not everybody is a criminal. I hope that you can heal soon!

  4. Anonymous says:


  5. Anonymous says:

    I’d guess the Judge didn’t believe that anyone with the mental capacity of a 9-year-old would have been walking the street drunk, charged up and carrying a machete. Sounds like prison was the right choice here whatever his lawyer says.

    • Anonymous says:

      While I understand that it is a defense attorney’s job to defend their client but perhaps the court should have looked into his mental state prior to sentencing, while it is no complete defense surely it should be taken into account. If he really is as or near as immature as his lawyer is stating is prison a good fit? What will he learn? Should a mental facility (like the one being planned currently be considered over the prison where he will likely get no treatment or care.

      • Anonymous says:

        11:29 see the comment at 5:21 above.

      • Anonymous says:

        There is currently no facility on island. Would you like him back on the street? The police are blamed for all the crime on island, but when people are taken to court they are given suspended sentences to go back and do it all over again.


Leave a Reply to Michael Cancel reply
