By Alric Lindsay
Charles Ellworth Rose, a Jamaican man previously deported twice from the Cayman Islands, was sentenced by the Chief Magistrate to 25 months’ imprisonment today, March 11, 2026, and faces a third deportation order after admitting to illegally landing and remaining in the jurisdiction since 2024 to work and send money home.
Reportedly, Rose told authorities he had travelled by boat from Pedro Cays to Honduras to catch snapper and sell fish, and that, on the return leg, he ended up in Cayman.
Regarding how he got stranded in the Cayman Islands, Rose explained that he left the boat to “buy some front” (i.e., seek a prostitute). However, when he returned, he and the boat captain had a dispute over money. At that point, the boat captain abandoned him.
Reportedly, Rose remained on island working for small daily wages, and, at times, going without pay.
The Chief Magistrate heard that this was not Rose’s first encounter with Cayman’s Customs & Border Control. Rose acknowledged that he had been deported from the Cayman Islands on two previous occasions, including once after arriving with other men “with ganja to try and make a life,” which had resulted in an eight‑year sentence of which he served almost three years. On another occasion, he said his vessel malfunctioned and drifted into Cayman waters, where he was intercepted and returned. Despite those removals, he returned again by sea and remained without lawful status.
Crown Counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions indicated that Rose wilfully remained on the island despite being fully aware of his illegal status and prior deportations, and highlighted his attempt to run when police arrived on the scene as a further aggravating factor.
Defence counsel Crister Brady painted a different picture, describing Rose as frank and forthcoming in his interview and stressing that he had not been accused of robberies, burglaries or other serious offences during his most recent period on island. Counsel noted that he had survived on very little, taking odd jobs and informal work, and suggested that while these circumstances could lead others into more serious criminality, there was no evidence he had done so. Counsel urged the court to find that, although culpability was high given his history and decision to remain, the overall level of harm should not be placed at the highest category.
In delivering sentence, the Chief Magistrate underscored the gravity with which the law views illegal landing, pointing to the statutory maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a CI$20,000 fine under the Customs and Border Control Act. “The safety and prosperity of our islands depends on us being able to account for every single individual on this island,” the Chief Magistrate observed, adding that when a person is present unlawfully and undetected “there is the potential for significant harm,” making a deterrent sentence absolutely necessary.
Regarding the length of the sentence, the Chief Magistrate said the starting point is 32 months. She increased the term to 38 months in light of the aggravating factors, including his two previous deportations and his past custodial sentence of 32 months imposed in 2019.The only mitigating factor accepted was Rose’s early guilty plea and his admissions during interview, which the Chief Magistrate used to give Rose a one‑third reduction. After applying that discount, the final sentence was reduced to 25 months’ imprisonment, with credit to be given for time already spent in custody, calculated at 41 days on remand. A third deportation order was also made, and Rose was advised of his right to appeal.
