Randy James Bodden, 27, was sentenced to six months imprisonment this week for assault causing actual bodily harm to his grandmother.
Magistrate Grace Donalds imposed a further three months for consumption of cocaine and another month for failure to surrender to custody. The total sentence was 10 months.
The magistrate also ordered that Bodden be assessed by mental health authorities.
Crown Counsel Tanya Lobban said Bodden’s grandmother had had problems with him and asked the police to warn him not to come to her residence. Police did so.
On 27 October, 2007, Bodden went to her residence. She was asleep but awoke to hear him talking loudly as if drunk. He came to her and asked for money.
She got out of bed and went into the living room. He formed a fist and struck her in the head, over her ear. She shouted for help, then went into the yard where she slipped and fell.
He followed and kept asking for money. The woman’s son came to her rescue, but by this time Bodden had something in his hand and struck her on her back.
Bodden said he didn’t remember what happened that night because he was under the influence of alcohol.
Ms Lobban said Bodden had two previous convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm earlier in 2007.
The drug consumption occurred on or before 1, June 2007. The failure to surrender occurred on 13 March this year. Bodden said he forgot the date to come to court.
The magistrate read from a social inquiry report. She said a community-based sentence could not be recommended because Bodden had a poor record of keeping appointments.
Bodden told the court that he had stopped drinking and doing drugs. Normally he wouldn’t do what he had done: ‘It’s just the alcohol…. I ask you for some pity.’
The magistrate replied ‘I have pity on you, but I have to think about your grandmother.’
Bodden said after being given bail he had not had a drink for four months. He said he was not eligible for Drug Rehab Court because of the assault charge. ‘They told me to go to Probation, but I didn’t go. If I get another chance, I’ll go.’
The magistrate initially was minded to adjourn sentencing pending a psychiatrist’s report.
Ms Lobban said she would object to bail in the meantime.
Bodden asked to be sentenced. ‘If you’re going to give me time, do it now and get it over with. Jail’s not helping me. There’s nothing wrong with me. I see the problem was alcohol, so I stop drinking alcohol. I want bail – I’m not going to get in trouble,’ he told the court.
The magistrate said he might benefit if she did sentence him that day and order the assessment.
The magistrate made all sentences consecutive except two months for consumption of ganja, which ran concurrently.
The Caymanian Compass website archives for 9 April 2007 show Bodden receiving a sentence of 60 days from another magistrate, also for assaulting his grandmother. He and she had lived in the same yard at the time.
He pleaded guilty to punching her in the arm and chest on 10 March when he was upset about some missing money. Six days later he punched her again, in the leg and thigh, when she was in her bed.
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