A 45-year-old Jamaican man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison in the Cayman Islands after admitting to a prolonged campaign of domestic violence against two former partners, including an assault in which he choked one woman until her eyes bled.
Orville Richardson was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment back in May after pleading guilty to 11 offences committed between March and May 2025.
The charges included multiple counts of assault, unlawful confinement, stalking and offences under the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act involving two women with whom he had previously been in relationships.
In a recently published sentencing judgment, Justice Cheryll Richards described Richardson’s conduct as a “prolonged and persistent series of domestic violence” and ruled that he poses a high risk of reoffending.
The judge said previous efforts to rehabilitate Richardson in the community following earlier convictions for violent offences had failed, making a custodial sentence necessary to protect women.
One of the victims told the court she endured years of abuse, recounting repeated assaults that left her with serious injuries.
She testified that Richardson once choked her while threatening to kill her, causing her eyes to bleed, and on another occasion beat her with a makeshift wire weapon. She also said he regularly prevented her from leaving their home.
The court heard that Richardson has nine previous convictions dating back to 2005, all involving violence against his former wife. Despite that history, he had previously received suspended sentences.
A social inquiry report found that Richardson continues to struggle with significant anger management issues despite participating in rehabilitation programmes. It concluded that his controlling and intimidating behaviour presents an ongoing risk to former, current and future intimate partners.
The Cayman Islands Probation Service also found that Richardson demonstrated attitudes supportive of violence in intimate relationships and showed little empathy for his victims, instead suggesting they were responsible for provoking his behaviour.
His attorney argued that Richardson suffers from undiagnosed and untreated mental health conditions and should receive treatment in the community rather than serve a prison sentence. The defence maintained that he could not afford adequate mental health care and warned that incarceration could worsen his depression and anxiety.
The court also heard that Richardson, a construction worker, is an artist who has made positive contributions to his community.
Justice Richards rejected the request for a community-based sentence, finding that the seriousness, frequency and persistence of the offences warranted imprisonment.
She concluded that Richardson remains a danger to women and that a prison sentence was necessary to protect the public until he receives effective treatment.
