Man Faces Criminal Assault Charges After Allegedly Pushing Passenger Overboard At Starfish Point

By Alric Lindsay

Crown Counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has officially confirmed that criminal assault charges will stand against Jeffrey Elroy Tutor, a 41-year-old Filipino national accused of pushing a fellow passenger off a commercial tour boat earlier this year.

Tutor appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate McFarlane in Summary Court today, October 6, 2026, alongside his defence attorney, Crister Brady. During the brief mention, DPP Crown Counsel Kenneth Ferguson announced that the prosecution’s full file review was complete and that both criminal counts brought against the defendant remain entirely sustainable.

The Starfish Point Incident

According to formal Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) documents submitted by Officer in Charge PC 201 Pena, the charges stem from an incident on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at approximately 4:30 pm. The complainant, Benjamin Buensalida Esguerra, 54, was attending a recreational boat excursion aboard the vessel “Sweet Romance” at Starfish Point in North Side alongside his spouse, Michelle Tadeo Dayrit.

Statements provided to investigators reveal that Mr. Esguerra was standing on the edge of the vessel’s lower deck, preparing to jump into the water for a second time, when a male standing directly beside him allegedly made contact and pushed him from behind. The sudden force caused Mr. Esguerra to plunge into the sea in an entirely uncontrolled manner, violently striking his head as he fell.

Video Footage and Hospitalization

Upon resurfacing, Mr. Esguerra was visibly injured, suffering from a bleeding mouth, loose teeth, a bruised forehead, and severe, radiating pain across his neck and shoulders. Once back on board the Sweet Romance, Mr. Esguerra and his wife reviewed video footage she had been recording on his mobile phone. The video explicitly captured a man wearing a black shirt and holding a bottle making physical contact with Mr. Esguerra’s back immediately before he fell into the water.

When confronted on the boat with the phone footage, the man—later identified by police as Tutor—denied carrying out the push.

Mr. Esguerra subsequently required emergency medical attention at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) Accident and Emergency Department, where he underwent an emergency CT scan before being referred to the Strand Dental Clinic for extensive restorative treatment on his mouth and teeth.

Arrest and Formal Prosecution

Following an investigation, RCIPS officers arrested Tutor on Monday, February 23, 2026, on suspicion of a reckless and negligent act alongside assault. He was transported to the Cayman Islands Detention Centre and later formally interviewed under caution on April 20 with the assistance of a Tagalog interpreter.

Tutor is now facing two primary counts in court: Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm contrary to Section 216 of the Penal Code (2024 Revision), and an alternative count of Common Assault under Section 215.