Bush begins 60 day evening curfew
(CNS): Speaker McKeeva Bush began a two-month long evening house curfew at his West Bay home on Monday, as the sentence handed down for his conviction for assault by Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn came into force. Meanwhile, Premier Alden McLaughlin indicated that government was unlikely to do anything to remove Bush from his prestigious office, regardless of the conviction. He told CNS that he didn’t think “the country would be well served” if he took action that would lead to the collapse of the government.
Bush appeared in Summary Court to hear the magistrate’s ruling following a hearing on 3 December, when the veteran politician and West Bay West representative admitted assaulting Livia Kwong during a drunken evening in February.
As she delivered her ruling, Magistrate Gunn, who recorded the conviction, said Bush had committed a very serious assault on a woman who was trying to help him, and given his position, his behaviour was “shameful and reprehensible”. The magistrate also revealed that Kwong had been pressured not to report the incident. She said that Bush had no one but himself to blame, having allowed his grief and mental health problems to spiral out of control.
Explaining how she had arrived at a sentence of three months, or 90 days, imprisonment, Magistrate Gunn said that the sentence was reduced to two months for his guilty pleas in connection with the three charges for assault and a $700 fine for the charge of disorderly conduct. Given that Bush has no previous convictions, she said the non-committal sentence would be suspended for two years, but Bush would still serve a 60-day curfew in the evenings between 6pm and 6am.
Although he was not issued with an electronic tag to ensure he remained in his home each and every night until 19 February, the court ordered a doorstep condition. Gunn said that if Bush is attending parliament in the next two months, he would be excused from curfew for late sittings but he must be at his home within one hour after the end of the proceedings.
This means that police are able to call on Bush at anytime during the nighttime curfew and if they find he is not home a warrant will be issued for his arrest and he could be remanded to custody and forced to serve the rest of his time in prison. The suspension for two years also holds Bush to good behaviour for that time as any new conviction would not only see him sanctioned for whatever new offense was committed but this sentence would be added to it.
In addition to the suspended sentence, the curfew and fine, Bush mush also pay Kwong almost CI$4,300 in medical expenses.
Following the court’s ruling, at an unrelated press conference at the Government Administration Building, McLaughlin said he was unaware at that time of the ruling but said that government would have to take time to consider the matter, as “there may or may not be a meeting of the House” before it is dissolved in March.
“I am not sure that the country will be well served now by my taking action which precipitates the collapse of the government and the holding of early elections, so we have to bear that in mind, ” he said in response to a CNS question.
Meanwhile, in response to inquiries sent by CNS to the Commission for Standards in Public Life, officials said members had raised the matter with the premier, directing his attention to the Standards in Public Life Law.
This requires those in public life “to observe the standards” set out in that legislation, which also provides sanctions for members in contravention of the law, officials added. “The commission encourages all members of Parliament to take seriously their responsibilities as are required to comply with the law and to act accordingly,” the CSPL said in an email to CNS.
Alden’s style – “the country may not be best served”. He took the same approach with the stink scandal at CIAA in 2014 to spare the Board of Directors, some of whom had lied under oath at the related hearings.
And CIAA is still sinking …
Let me get this straight. It does not serve the country well to do the right thing? I know doing the right thing is not always easy but it is “right”. What he means to says;: my personal goals are not well served to remove him form office. Each and every one of them that has not spoken out (which is all but Mr. Miller) should be shamed publicly. When thy come to you for a vote next year claiming they have the experience, remind them of this experience, and vote against them.
Ignoring the implausibly lenient sentencing on these violent acts of hate, in Summary Court, the long-held false pleas of “not guilty” were by themselves, acts of dishonesty which are disqualifying under the Constitution Order 2009, §62 (e). Not only can McKeeva no longer be an MP, but as such, is no longer eligible to be Speaker. Let’s start with that.
How? Serious question. Is there a way to bring a claim that Mac is statutorily barred from office?
He is the Shame of the Nation
#caymankind
‘Fair and Balanced’ makes a very valid point. But please – Linford Pearson as speaker? That had to be a joke.
Say what, now?! “attending Parliament”?! That man is a convicted man beater! He has no place in Parliament, not even holding the gate open. As a registered voter, I DEMAND he is ousted from the Speaker role post-haste and according to elections law, he is no longer eligible for to be an MP.
Not just an MP, he’s still Speaker of the House of Parliament, a Justice of the Peace, an OBE recipient, purported recipient of honorary MSc, a dubious recounted Doctorate degree, Chair of Overseas Territories Committee…and on and on. Each one of those has an implicit oath. Then there’s that this was a violent criminal hate crime being tried in Summary Court as if it were a first offense misdemeanor traffic ticket. There is so much that is wrong with all of this.
Does this mean Honorable Speaker Bush can’t do Christmas Eve gift deliveries?
Imagine Franz Manderson, shaking his head in Parliament, when the announcement of Skylar’s case was being appealed. These guys seem to have balls against the helpless and underprivileged.
As much as this sickens us…this has only dug the hole deeper for the next election. Buried these bastards 2021.
Want to bet?
With whom? There has been no change to the Elections Law that we are aware of. We still have a party system. The MPs in Parliament are now free to self-compensate! Few honorable are eligible or would dare sully themselves by running in this greasy mud pit – largely controlled, in some way it seems, by Bush and co. Like any entrenched kingpin, one would have to expect that continues whether in office, or not. The problem extends well beyond the House.
One way to get justice served on this low life is for everyone to keep their eyes open and phone ready to record each infraction he makes to break his curfew…. we all know the habits of this creep… film him – take photos…. call the police and post it to social media. He can’t resist showing off and drinking during the Christmas and New Years … the power to get rid of this disgrace is with the people of Cayman. Then vote him out come May …
It would be great if we could vote people out, but it doesn’t work that way. It’s unidirectional and binary. Worse, it’s also still a Party affiliated system. This is what the choices were in for West Bay West in 2017…nothing has changed:
William McKeeva Bush 605/849 votes = 71.26%
Paul Desmond Rivers 176/849 votes = 20.73%
Daphne Louise Orrett 68/849 votes = 8.01%
https://portal.elections.ky/files/downloads/ge2017/COUNT-FOR-COMMAND-CENTER-%202017.pdf
YESSSSS!!!!!!
If any further evidence was needed that Mac is truly untouchable, then this is it. And a message to all men on Cayman, belt a woman and you’ll get away with it. We really are livng in the dark ages here.
Banana republic
Bahahaha right in da potayta!
He just MIGHT make it for the 2 months curfew and get through as a “good boy”. But I bet my last dollar that he WILL not make it for 2 years on good behaviour. Come February 20th I hope everyone has on their eyes and ears cause he will falter again, and what a bring up that one will be.
Hypocrisy is alive and well in the Cayman Islands.
White privilege.
Protest at his house and outside his doors. Follow him everywhere and watch his every abusive move. Animals that bite are restrained. He is no different. Restrain him if the courts and his colleagues will not. Report his every move.
Release the footage.
Leak the footage.
It’s on video.
Recent world news ragrding Cayman:
A Male Goverment Official Assaults Woman; No Punishment
Woman Breaks Quarantine; 4 months in Prison
Not a good look. Virtue signals of protecting women when the government condones beating down a woman.
Release the footage.
Leak the footage.
Stop protecting monsters.
I always thought that judges were there to uphold the law and not make a mockery of the law.
Alden is a total disgrace to the human race. This is the same individual who was ranting and raving about the rule of law, and now he convinces me by his very own actions that violence against women is acceptable in our society. What happened to all the other members in the house beside the honorable Mr. Miller who has made it abundantly clear that violence against women is not acceptable and should be frowned on.
My wife was thrown into the middle of the ocean by her ex and nothing was done to him. We are now pursing legal means after I insisted. She didn’t want to pursue the case since she keeps saying nothing will be done about it.
They can stand up and speak for Sandy Hill and CMR but Bryan and Saunders silent on this one. Shame shame shame Vote them out
Pathetic.
The courts are a disgrace. The courts should be looking at cases not personalities. Give me a break. Any other person would have gotten at least seven years in jail. It never amazes me the extreme that the courts will go to protect politicians when they are guilty of a crime.
The islands judiciary really has sank to a very new low.
Albeit I agree that skylar should have been punished. she gets 4 month in prison for breaking curfew ?
Sandra hill who abuses everyone on line destroys lives reputations and brags about it is Convicted of harassment and gets a paltry 3k fine
And now the speaker of the house beats up a woman in broad daylight and gets a suspended sentence ?( wait until the US press compare this sentence to skylars?)
I have zero respect and faith in the judiciary. As a victim I personally wouldn’t go to the police criminal or civil courts in the Cayman Islands . It’s all corrupt . Be careful Cayman because when This happens people end up taking the law into their own hands
She could have gotten 2 years but didn’t. No one seems to remember that little fact.
If he has to be addressed in the house he should be referred to as the Honorable Speaker and Convicted Felon.
The title of ‘honorable’ should be completely removed!!
Hmm let’s see what the spineless DPP does, can guarantee someone has been on the phone with the words ‘Don’t you dare appeal this if you know what’s good for you’
We really do need some kind of UK intervention…these pigs are gonna stay at the trough as long as possible.
Patrick Moran better be appealing this sentence ASAP!
Those pathetic MLA’s MAC must really have something on them all.
Maybe it is the free 8j handed out at the XXXX to some
The silence really does send a message and Tara JJ Barbara as woman you should be totally ashamed of yourselves.
His apparently abusive email should have been a separate charge of internet harassment. What’s good for Sandra is good for Mac.
Premier,
You have seriously disappointed the Country!
The public is more interested in having the Government do what is correct rather than maintain the pretense of a Government if that pretense comes from McKeeva remaining as Speaker.
Let’s look at your claim that Government would collapse if McKeeva is removed as Speaker.
The number of MLAs on the side opposite the Government benches, totals 7, 5 so-called Opposition members and 2 so-called independents.
If McKeeva is removed as Speaker and because he’s resentful to that possibility, let’s say he goes to sit on the benches opposite to the Government and takes Capt Eugene with him. There would now be 9 MLAs on the side opposite to the Government.
The Government would be left with a total of 10 MLAs, 7 Ministers, Barbara, Austin and David. That would be 10 for the Government and 9 MLAs on the opposite side and, Government would have a majority of 1 which, can still be a functioning Government.
The Government can introduce a new Speaker to replace McKeeva by choosing someone outside the LA now say, a Kurt Tibbetts, a Linford Pierson, a Mary Lawrence for just a few months.
So, it is not true for you Premier to say that removing McKeeva as Speaker means, with absolute certainty, that Government would fall, it is simply not true to say that this will automatically happen.
Which other MPs could McKeeva take with him to the other side? Maybe Julianna and John-John? That would be trouble since there would be 11 on the opposite side and 8 on the Government side.
Premier, even if the Government collapsed for doing the proper action of removing McKeeva, you and your colleagues will be rewarded by the voting public in any early elections.
Premier, let’s look at your Government’s recent progression.
In 2019 and very early 2020, the Government was on life support and was deeply unpopular because of the cruiseship berthing project debacle. You and your Government were set for a roasting. Along came COVID and the Government got a new lease on life because it handled the crisis well. The public was prepared to treat the Government well again at the polls because of good handling of COVID.
Then came civil union legislation that the Government brought and was defeated but, the Governor brought it into force under a different name. The public was quietly seething and is likely to express its disappointment in May 2021. Along comes the present McKeeva situation and, you and Government squander an opportunity to get on the good side of the public again, squander it by saying that the public would not appreciate a collapse of Government because McKeeva is removed as Speaker. Wrong judgment Premier, wrong read of the public.
Premier you and Government are making a serious mistake by not removing McKeeva as Speaker. If you don’t rethink your decision, a high price will be paid and, the irony of the situation is that McKeeva will undoubtedly get re-elected and might even become a Minister while you end up on the Opposition benches.
Rethink Premier either on a bike ride or over several glasses of Scotch otherwise it could be a Tale of Two Cities that you’re responsible for creating. Protect yourself in the history books, remove McKeeva as Speaker.
Government collapse?!?!? Give me a freaking break. Cowards
The real problem with this sentence is that it will make an assault victim think twice before either reporting the crime or having it pursued through the courts. It basically says public figures are untouchable.
For the magistrate to describe this as a ‘very serious assault’ but then hand out a 2 month suspended sentence just doesn’t make sense. In the interests of justice, the sentence needs to be reviewed and revised so it is proportionate to the seriousness of the offence.
Untouchable? I don’t think anyone would volunteer for the new fall from grace visited on Bush. He has been punished.
And does anyone seriously believe the curfew will be enforced.?
This sentence is disgusting and insulting to women The judge should be ashamed of herself. Lord knows McKeeva isn’t.
Anyone going before the court for any assault should make sure McKeeva’s case is in the fore front. The court has set a precedent and every case should use thus as their base.
Justice is not dealt with in the courts, only depends on who you are or who you know. Stop being lopsided and hypocritical. It should be justice for all.
i wonder what ever happened to that mold case involving the old glass house?
It transferred into their heads like body snatchers.
as a caymanian..i dont know if i want live here anymore? place corrupted….
We seem to have completely lost our moral compass as a society.
Caymanian phrase: “I’m not sure the country would be well served…..”
English meaning: “it’s not in my best interests…”
You mean Alden’s phrase..those words don’t come out of this Caymanians mouth..
This is a disgrace! If the Speaker was told to leave and it caused a “snap” election, I am sure the Government would win by a Landslide! Nobody, nobody, should get away with assaulting a woman, or even a man!
Alden McLauglin – NO SHAME
Moses Kirkconnell – NO SHAME
Roy McTaggart – NO SHAME
Joey Hew – NO SHAME
Juliana O’Connor-Connolly – NO SHAME
Tara Rivers – NO SHAME
Dwayne Seymour – NO SHAME
Barbara Connolly – NO SHAME
David Wight – NO SHAME
Eugene Ebanks – NO SHAME
Austin Harris – NO SHAME
Arden McLean – NO SHAME
Alva Suckoo – NO SHAME
Chris Saunders – NO SHAME
Anthony Eden – NO SHAME
Bernie Bush – NO SHAME
Kenneth Bryan – NO SHAME
Their silence says everything about them individually and collectively as leaders of the country. The burying their head in the sand mentality is unacceptable. It is clear they are a large part of Cayman’s problem and must not be allowed to continue in any leadership role as they lack the qualities we need e.g. morals, ethics, decency, integrity and ability to do the right thing for Cayman.
What more evidence is required after this latest mess to conclude they are all unfit for public service?
It is time for the voters to hold these all accountable in May.
Vote them all out next year! Let’s put in people who have actual spines.
There is obviously a culture of ignorance, corruption or more nefariously, intimidation, prevalent in our political system.
The whole thing stinks to high heavens.
Anthony Eden claims to be a Christian, but has yet to point any kind of finger at the corruption that comes with the vast majority of these uncivil servants all being members of the Lodge.
The laws being passed in Cayman are not in the best interests of the people, that is for sure.
If Caymanians have not had enough yet, there is surely more to come.
The entire civil service needs to be torn down before referendums become illegal.
Such good loving Christians that truly believe we’re all equal, a bunch of damm Sunday morning hypocrites and like Mac the loser should be given a public flogging. Bernie and Chris where are you on this🤐🚶🏽♂️? Preaching about how you’ve been raised to love & respect women and the women of the house wow deafening and utterly shameful. The judge makes claim of Bush’s previous good record oh yes that’s right cases of abuse of power, assault and harassment doesn’t come to mind.#voteforchange2021cayman and #shewontbesilent.
That needs to be on billboards all over the country!
Some of those people are friends of mine but I avoid them like the plague now because I don’t want to see their smug faces.
No Shame!
I bet big mac na even had to wear the ankle monitor either
Blind Bartimaeus could have seen this coming a mile off.
Politicians are part of the Cayman untouchable celebrity class. Can do whatever they want and face minor consequences at worst.
I am ashamed Alden McLaughlin is the Premier of my country given his actions or lack thereof. He is a bigger disappointment than McKeeva Bush
Will Bernie speak out.
Bernie won’t speak against because he fears McKeeva will run Rolston Anglin against him and Bernie ends up losing his seat.
Bernie won’t say a word.
Tara won’t say anything either because she’s afraid McKeeva will run Raoul Nickelson-Coe against her.
Capt Eugene is mute on everything, good or bad. He would make a good Tibetan monk!
Sad that keeping their seat is more important than speaking out against wrongdoing!!
Political leadership is not a Caymanian strong suit.
This place totally lacks leadership.
Alden, your words mean nothing!
If you see this poor excuse for a human being outside of his house between 6PM and 6AM, call the police.
http://911.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/emchome/contact-us/local-non-emergency-numbers
I bet the dislike is from McKeeva…. u mad Bobo??
You better take a dated and timed picture and email it to Byrnes with cc’s to CNS and Compass and governor or you are wasting your time.
Watch the deliveries and visitors!
“I am not sure that the country will be well served now by my taking action which precipitates the collapse of the government ”
A serious indictment on the ethical values of our elected leaders…
Alden is a disgrace and it is clear he is McKeeva’s pet. They deserve each other as two sides of the same coin. Alden has proven he is no better than McKeeva
Let’s face it – the government collapsing which will bring forward the election means that these corrupt politicians will not have enough time to buy the appliances and find other spurious ways to bribe the electorate. Bring it on Mac needs to go now
McKeeva should not be the Speaker. His removal as Speaker has no connection with bring the government down. No elected member should be chosen as Speaker. Let the selected person be capable, educated, knowledgeable, decent, upright citizen.
Under SIPL regs, McKeeva can’t even retain his MLA chair, let along the Speaker role, or Chairing the Overseas Territories Committees, or a Party leadership position. He should be completely out of politics, awaiting inevitable community outrage, and what we all hope will be a Prosecution appeal. Barbara Connolly, Bernie Bush, or some other replacement can very easily assume that role for the next 5 months. How many sessions are there left? What we are witnessing would defy explanation if it weren’t McKeeva Bush, in the corrupt Cayman Islands.
Folks please leave the Governor out of this.
Politicians answer to the people and not the Governor.
Politicians answer to a small proportion of the people who can vote in the rotten boroughs. The Governor protects the rests.
Total uneducated nonsense.
The Governor is appointed by Queen to be responsible for good governance in the Cayman Islands. That’s why they are here. They try to keep out of things as much as possible, but clearly they do step in when unavoidably necessary.
That judge is ridiculous! He should be serving a custodial sentence.
If she has previously sentenced anyone to prison for a similar case, I hope they take it up with the courts.
Release the video please.
Yes! Lets make it viral.
What a joke. That poor 18 year old white girl up at Fairbanks about to be traumatized for life and this guy goes free? Not even a tracker? Where is the fairness in that? I agree Ms. Mack deserved punishment but for them not to realize Mr. Bush needed the same is just reprehensible. Have no more words for it really…
All I can say is Big Mac must have some kind of dirt on those MLAs for them to stand by and let him get away with it. Shameful and corrupt, the whole lot of them!
For real! 4 months jail for COVID but suspended sentence for a multiple assault. Joke.
Someone looking at their next contract.
@21/12/20 at 5:47 pm – Wait, what now? Poor 18 year old white girl? What does her being a white girl have to do with anything? Should criminal prosecutions take gender and race into account?
Mac getting off is a travesty. Agreed. But that doesn’t mean that Skylar should get away with what she did too. They both deserve punishment.
I’m so mad about this I don’t have the right words. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬😤😤😤😤😤!
What a joke , thatll really teach him a lesson till he is pissed again no doubt
Doesn’t even need to get pissed to be the disgusting vindictive bully that he is and hiding behind his daughter’s death as an excuse.
The Premier is only interested in holding on to power for as long as possible. I don’t know if his position would change if every woman in Cayman was repeatedly and violently assaulted
Penal Code (2017 Revision):
§215. A person who unlawfully assaults another commits an offence and, if the assault is not committed in circumstances for which a greater punishment is provided by this or any other law, is liable to imprisonment for one year.
§216. A person who commits an assault occasioning actual bodily harm commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for five years.
§107. (1) A person who –
(b) in order to obstruct the course of justice, dissuades, hinders or prevents any person lawfully bound to appear and give evidence as a witness from so appearing and giving evidence, or endeavours so to do;
(c) obstructs or in any way interferes with or knowingly prevents the execution of any legal process, civil or criminal; or
(d) does anything in order to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice,
commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.
Exactly, exactly, exactly! What is going on?
If I answer your question I will be labeled a conspiracy theorist.
There it is, plain to see. I see nowhere in those precise words where it reads, “slap on the wrist, and wag of a finger.”
Completely disgusted. Several sets of laws for different strata of people. Same as it ever was.
It will continue, only if the public don’t take the bull by the horn. The judiciary has failed miserably. No justice, no time.