(CMR) Elmer Wright, who is serving a life sentence in the UK for a 2017 Patrick's Island home invasion, lost an appeal to have his life sentence overturned by the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal.
Wright was found guilty in 2020 of six offenses for the home invasion during which he broke into an elderly couple’s home as they slept, tied them to chairs, and robbed them at gunpoint. He was found guilty of attempted burglary, aggravated burglary, robbery, possession of an unlicensed firearm, damage to property, and robbery.
Following a judge-only trial, Justice Chapple sentenced Wright to life in prison, ordering that he serve at least 18 years before he is eligible for parole. Wright received an indiscriminate sentence, which means he could remain in jail for the remainder of his life but will not be eligible for parole consideration after serving a minimum of 18 years.
Last Thursday, 25 April, Wright’s attorney, Keith Myers, argued that the sentencing judge made a mistake by imposing a life sentence without getting any pre-sentencing reports from psychiatrists or probation officers regarding whether or not Wright posed a risk to the community.
However, the prosecution pointed out that in 2012, Wright was sentenced to nine years for a robbery, during which he beat two customers and discharged a weapon.
Ten months after he was released from prison in that matter, he had 112 rounds of ammunition and was involved in another dangerous robbery.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the judge was right to arrive at the conclusion he did based on the evidence before him.
While the application to overturn his sentence has been dismissed, the court has agreed to look into his circumstances regarding being away from family as he is serving his sentence in the UK.
The court heard that with Wright serving his sentence in the UK, he had no contact with his family, no support, and now struggles with mental health issues.
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