Cayman killer to serve sentence in UK under colonial law

A convicted killer has been transported from the Caribbean to serve his jail sentence in the UK under a law dating from the colonial era.

Osbourne Douglas is serving a 34-year jail sentence for the murder of 20-year-old Jason Powery and was brought to the UK under legislation dating from 1884.

He was transferred across the Atlantic last week and will be held by the Prison Service "until further notice", the Cayman Islands government said.

A spokeswoman said: "This removal was authorised by the UK and Cayman Islands governments in the interests of national security and the public safety of the people of the Cayman Islands."

According to local media, Douglas, 30, and brother Justin Ramoon, killed Mr Powery in 2015.

TV channel Cayman 27 quoted judge Charles Quin saying the crime was a "chillingly clinical execution of the most evil kind".

Under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act, convicts can be sent from British Overseas Territories to the UK for a number of reasons including where "it is likely that the life of the prisoner will be endangered or his health permanently injured" by remaining in the territory.

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