Alric Lindsay 
By Alric Lindsay
A driver who crashed a Honda Fit into a palm tree on Seafarers Way while under the influence of alcohol and Ganja was handed a 14-month driving ban and financial penalties in the Summary Court today, October 14, 2026.
Devin Santee Cooke, 31, entered early guilty pleas to possession of Ganja, consumption of Ganja, disorderly conduct at a police station, driving under the influence of alcohol, and using a vehicle with an expired registration.
The court heard that on January 28, 2026, police officers were dispatched to a single-vehicle collision to find a Honda Fit crashed into a palm tree. Cooke was discovered in the driver’s seat with slurred speech and smelling strongly of alcohol. A subsequent search uncovered 2.72 grams of Ganja in his pocket.
Upon being transported to the police detention centre, Cooke became highly disorderly, shouting profanities at officers. A mandatory urine test later came back positive for THC. Investigations also revealed the vehicle’s registration had been expired since December 2024. Cooke had only one prior minor conviction on his record for a historic curfew breach.
Defence attorney Candia James-Malcolm provided extensive mitigation, portraying Cooke as an otherwise quiet, hardworking, and isolated individual who had lived productively in the Cayman Islands since his arrival in 2016.
James-Malcolm explained that Cooke’s life had unraveled due to severe emotional distress following the passing of his mother. On the night of the crash, his judgment was drastically impaired by a combination of alcohol and cannabis. She emphasized that Cooke had since completely ceased his Ganja use and had proactively submitted to voluntary drug testing every other Friday, producing five consecutive clean screenings.
The defence also revealed that Cooke’s application for Permanent Residency (PR) was rejected just last week. While he remains legally “on time” regarding his status, his temporary employment authorization has lapsed, forcing him to stop working.
When Chief Magistrate Hernandez questioned why Cooke had failed to complete a court-mandated Driving Under the Influence (DUI) program since August, the court heard that Cooke had been placed on a lengthy waiting list and was never contacted by administrators.
In handing down the sentence, Chief Magistrate Hernandez took note of Cooke’s early pleas and his clean lifestyle leading up to the sentencing date. On the drug and disorderly charges, the Chief Magistrate granted an absolute discharge, though the total cost for thea forensic drug certificates was tallied at $418.75.
Turning to the traffic offences, the Chief Magistrate officially disqualified Cooke from driving for 14 months. For driving a vehicle with a registration that had been expired for 13 months, Cooke was hit with a statutory triple-value penalty resulting in a $575 fine to be paid within 24 hours, or face 5 weeks in prison.
