GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (CMC) – A 45-year-old Jamaican national has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after admitting to a sustained campaign of domestic violence against two former partners, including choking one woman until her eyes bled.

Orville Richardson was jailed for 40 months in May after pleading guilty to 11 offences committed between March and May 2025.

The charges included multiple assaults, unlawful confinement, stalking and information and communications technology (ICT) offences involving two women with whom he had been in relationships.

In a recently published sentencing judgment, Justice Cheryll Richards described Richardson’s actions as a “prolonged and persistent series of domestic violence” and ruled that he poses a high risk of reoffending.

The judge said previous attempts to rehabilitate Richardson in the community following earlier convictions for violence had been unsuccessful, making a custodial sentence necessary to protect women.

One of the victims told the court she had endured years of abuse, recounting repeated acts of violence that left her with serious injuries. She testified that Richardson once choked her until her eyes bled while threatening to kill her, beat her with a makeshift wire weapon, and frequently prevented her from leaving their home.

The court heard that Richardson has nine previous convictions dating back to 2005 involving violence against his former wife. Despite those convictions, he had previously received suspended sentences.

A social inquiry report found that Richardson suffers from significant anger management problems that remain unresolved despite participating in rehabilitation programmes. It also concluded that his controlling and intimidating behaviour poses an ongoing risk to former, current and future intimate partners.

The probation service reported that Richardson demonstrated attitudes supportive of violence within intimate relationships and showed little empathy for his victims, instead suggesting they had provoked the abuse.

His attorney argued that Richardson suffers from undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues and should receive treatment in the community rather than serve a prison sentence. The defence maintained that he lacked the financial resources to access adequate care and warned that imprisonment could worsen his depression and anxiety. Richardson, who works in construction, was also described as an artist who has contributed positively to his community.

Justice Richards rejected those arguments, finding that the seriousness and persistence of the offences met the threshold for imprisonment.

“The defendant is at high risk of re-offending. He has anger issues and, most importantly, previous attempts to rehabilitate him within the community have failed,” the judge said.

She concluded that Richardson presents an ongoing danger to women and that imprisonment was necessary to protect the public until he receives effective treatment.