Bush’s victim was afraid to leave home

| 23/12/2020 | 93 Comments
Cayman News Service
Speaker McKeeva Bush and his lawyer, Michael Alberga

(CNS): Details of the fear and intimidation felt by the woman who was assaulted by Speaker McKeeva Bush have been outlined in the magistrate’s sentencing ruling, which Cayman News Service has now obtained and posted in the CNS Library. In a statement, Livia Kwong told investigators that because of who had assaulted her and events in the wake of the attack, she had been afraid to leave home. In the ruling, which includes the agreed facts of the case, Kwong said she felt pressured to remain silent.

Bush had named Kwong in a statement he released shortly after the incident after it had become public knowledge, which had fuelled her fears. In that statement Bush claimed he had no memory of the incident but was aware that he had lashed out at those trying to help him and apologised.

But during his sentencing hearing, the crown had revealed evidence of messages sent by Bush in a WhatsApp group immediately after the fact where he had called Kwong “a mother fucking lesbian” and accused her of kicking him.

At the sentencing hearing Bush’s attorney, Michael Alberga, had once again suggested that Kwong had started the violence and that rather than helping Bush when he fell over, as she had claimed, she had in fact assaulted him. Alberga went as far as to suggest that she had spat at Bush.

However, when pressed about these claims, Alberga said that he was not saying this was what happened but that it could have been what happened and his client could not say either way as a result of his level of intoxication and memory loss.

But Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn made it clear in the ruling that she had viewed the video tape carefully. She could see that after Bush fell over as a result of being so drunk, he was first assisted by a member of staff, who was clearly unable to help him up, before he went to fetch Kwong. She, too, had struggled to get Bush to his feet before he began assaulting her.

“She spent some considerable time at his side trying to help him to his feet so that he may leave,” Magistrate Gunn wrote in her ruling. “When she was unable to do so she tried to contact Mr Parchment… at one point the defendant managed to get to his feet. In an unprovoked attack the defendant proceeded to pull Miss Kwong by the hair and hit her to the head,” she said, adding that she was “satisfied that this was captured on the CCTV”.

As she outline the facts in her general observations, Magistrate Gunn said that, as an elected member of Parliament, he should act with honour and decorum.

“However, the defendant’s behaviour that night was shameful. To drink to such a degree that one becomes violent is reprehensible,” she said.

In her ruling the magistrate also noted the importance of recording the conviction in this case, given the seriousness of the offence, and pointed out that the challenges that Bush would now face seeking a visa to travel overseas are the same as anyone convicted of a crime.

“The defendants visa plight is not unique,” she said, adding that most offenders have the same problem and it is a “natural consequence of offending”.

The magistrate said that not having a conviction recorded is “exceptional” and only happens in relation to specific sets of circumstances. In this case, she said, not recording the conviction “would be disproportionate and send out entirely the wrong message as to how serious matters are considered by the courts”.

Alberga had asked the court not to record a conviction, and without naming Austin Harris, the MP for Prospect, he had referred to his case, which he described as a “mishap”. However, Harris had pleaded guilty to a very drunken and violent assault on his girlfriend at a social event and was lucky enough not to have the conviction recorded or face any sanction for the offence.

See the magistrate’s ruling (our Christmas gift to CNS readers) in the CNS Library.


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Category: Courts, Crime

Comments (93)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Why are the bible thumpers outrage on this. This is sometime you should be speaking up about.

    Stop protesting on matters that only God should be judging on and stop worrying about your collection plates on Sunday services.

  2. Nah, it’s Absurdistan..... says:

    Alden’s speech attacking this criminal and drunk struck the right note and surely ended this horrible man’s political career….

  3. Anonymous says:

    I hope DPP Moran has the guts to also appeal the pathetic sentencing decision for this homophobic, misanthropic, troglodyte boor.

    He showed us how tough he is by tossing an unreservedly repentant tourist teenager in jail, why doesn’t he take down Big Mac for an encore…

    Surely, our DPP can’t be bought and paid for as well?

  4. Anonymous says:

    So ODPP have confirmed they won’t appeal the ludicrous sentence handed down to The Drunken Woman Beater. The scales of justice have truly disintegrated on Cayman. As an island, we are a disgrace. A dark day indeed in our history.

  5. Anonymous says:

    But At least they locked up Skylar Mack

  6. Anonymous says:

    Image how the parents feel when they watched the video of their child being beaten. If this happened to my daughter, i would be the one going to court. I would hunt him down and kn*^k the F*#@ out of him….then i would look for Alden,(which wouldn’t be hard, just look in the first bar room) and kn@#k the f*#k out of him too.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Third world rules and laws for third world folks and real laws for the rest of us. Caymankind.

  8. 345.... says:

    The Cayman Islands, corruption with a hint of paradise. Unna know it true

    • Anonymous says:

      More than a hint, I’d say.

      • Anonymous says:

        Oh please, let’s stop following those who wish to have nothing to say about the Cayman Islands. Look around the Caribbean and the world for that matter if you want to talk about corruption, our problems are nothing compared to our neighbors, not worthy at all of this manic, self-deprivation dialogue. Remember Caymanians, 132 nationalities and counting, something must be good.

      • Realist says:

        At most a hint. Hardly ‘paradise’ compared to most Caribbean destinations. Flat, scrubby, no history, no culture, overpriced, and one over developed narrow sloping over populated beach.

        • Anonymous says:

          Such a disparaging remark coming from someone who calls themself a realist but fails to acknowledge the reality that Cayman is a paradise…or else all the destructive, ungrateful expatriates for whom this country is not good enough for and who despise the dialect and traditional meals would vacate and leave the beaches empty so the locals could have a private place to bathe and relax on the beach.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Is this Skylar’s grandmother?

  10. Anonymous says:

    I have to confess, – I didn’t have ‘Alberga imitating Giuliani’s conspiracy tactics in a court of law’ on my bingo card – what a f*%#€^g mess

    • Anonymous says:

      Giuliani is as crooked as the mob he claims to have prosecuted.
      He is not serving Trump well, neither that woman, Ellis, both quislings.
      I digress.

  11. Anonymous says:

    The result of the test doesn’t matter. There were clear rules: there was a law and she broke it. When someone speeds and breaks the speeding limit, the fact that they weren’t caught doesn’t mean that they didn’t break the law.
    Bush was wrong as well, and it’s obvious we all don’t agree with the punishment, but it was a punishment… as far as I see, they’re both wrong and should both be punished fairly…

  12. Anonymous says:

    Mac Attack !!!! not only has he been attacking any food in sight …hes attacking women and getting away with it

  13. Anonymous says:

    After seeing the video, I cannot believe he is not spending time in jail!!
    This needs to go back to court just like they did for a harsher sentence on Skyler Mack.
    A message needs to be sent for all domestic violence!!
    This lil tap on the wrist is shocking.

    • Anonymous says:

      How can we see the video?

    • Anonymous says:

      No jail because he’s a tribe member. An expat, especially an American, would have been locked away for that crime from day one.

      • Anonymous says:

        6.31pm “An expat, especially an American, would have been locked away for that crime from day one.” So totally not true. Stop the propaganda assault please.eg there was a case here of an American who was charged after a gun and/or ammunition was found in his luggage who was treated quite leniently by our court system, despite the fact that this individual was a frequent visitor and should have been aware of our laws.

    • Leo says:

      Leak this video!! Maybe if more people actually saw it, they would become enraged. Sadly, that’s what it will take for people to finally stopped being fooled by him.

      • Anonymous says:

        A $50 microwave or $20 toaster will get him back so he can still remain the king of the islands and pick up a nice cheque every month. West Bay, WTF are you smoking? This POS should be doing hard time, along with the rest of his “church”.

        • Anonymous says:

          You can get elected in Cayman with a hundred votes. That’s a massive salary, pension, car, unlimited free travel worldwide without scrutiny and a no-questions-asked endless expense account. You could give a hundred people $1,000 each to vote for you and still make a profit in your first year. In reality it’s much cheaper than that. A kitchen appliance for families with multiple voters. A few dollars in the church collection plate. Some government contracts diverted to supporters and bingo, you’re made for life. I just wish the playing field was level for honest people with a moral compass so some of them might get elected for once.

          • Anonymous says:

            When there are no other viable opponents, one can get elected in the Cayman Islands simply by default acclamation.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Voters in WEST BAY WEST are the ones to blame for all of this.

    THEY are the ones who elected this monster to Parliament.

    Shame on them! 😈

    • Anonymous says:

      Only actual million dollar fridges can get Mac through this mess for another term!!

      Hopefully those have enough sense and past-their-nose-sighted vision to see more than them are paying because of this nonsense. Politicians abusing single-member system.

      #REPEALOMOV

    • Summer says:

      I am now registered to vote and will not vote for him in WBW. Please someone ensure to run and I will help you with your campaign!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      But they are getting a free toaster!

    • Kman says:

      You’re absolutely right. However after the First Cayman Bank scandal he should never have been allowed to seek public office again, then there’s the Bridger scandal and last but not least his handling of Status Grants. Trust that his lack of dignity will make him decide not to run in 21 yet highly doubt that.

      • Anonymous says:

        Kman…..Add Stan Thomas, Cohen, Chinese port deal, govt credit card for personal gambling, arrest in Fla casino for groping waitress, taking a govt employee as his personal driver on trips to Florida, and those are a few that the public knows about.
        Surely in no other place would anyone tolerate that behavior in someone in power.
        FCO , you don’t care, ?

        • Anonymous says:

          Let’s not forget his pursuit of reinstatement of Capital Punishment, right up to the last previous use of Orders in Council. He wanted to bring back public hangings and had wide support of other Caribbean OTs. His opposition to same-sex marriage, and the stoking of hate-groups via $10mln illegal nation building handouts to all his “church” friends, brought about the second Orders in Council 20 some-odd years later. The one common denominator remains Bush. Then there was the 2003 disposition of former AG and appointment of Bulgin, the fake degrees, trips to Colombia with Mike Missick, China Harbour and irreconcilably large gambling habits, and lines of credit with various casino cages around the world. Now he’s “treating” right out in the open without charge. This is a much bigger problem than one lone figurehead imbecile.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Drain the swamp!

  16. WBW Premier says:

    I doubt there are grounds for a suit as she is already getting compensation from an order from the Court. Also, I find it odious to solicit donations for somebody when the battle to fight is theirs and theirs alone.

    • Anonymous says:

      The only odious one is the woman-beater

    • Anonymous says:

      She felt alone and intimidated, that’s why she didn’t want to come forward. It’s people like you that make victims feel alone.

    • Anonymous says:

      See now you’re pathetic kind is the biggest part of the problem…no legal knowledge or even concept of costs vs punitive damages for physical and emotional trauma/distress…and all of this is our problem as it is our embarrassment/shame with how few of our MLA’s spoke out against the disgusting behaviour and how unbelievably lenient and obviously conflicted the judicial process was. Keep your weak and idiotic rants yourself.

    • Anonymous says:

      I find you odious and odorious!

    • Anonymous says:

      “Odious” lol.

      • Anonymous says:

        3:42, stand down as I find you pedantic and possibly out of turn. Also, you could be a South Sound voter.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Lets start a gofund me and hire an attorney for her. I hope she sues for millions and wins. We already know he was guilty so it should be an easy quick settlement.

    • Anonymous says:

      Did you start a go fund page for all those that lost their homes due to bank foreclosure? or what about those that lost their jobs in the pandemic?

  18. West Bayer who says NO to McKeeva says:

    McKeeva is a bully. Has always attacked persons he knew could or would not retaliate. Anyone remember when he assaulted Mr. Spurgeon Ebanks years ago??? In the front of a church nonetheless and claims this holier than though mentality.

    As for the legal fund, count me in for a donation.

    • Anonymous says:

      And he was re-elected… Very disappointing.

      • Anonymous says:

        And he assaulted a waitress in Florida and got re-elected. And got caught using his CIG credit card to gamble and got re-elected. And he got caught illegally importing dynamite and got re-elected. And he derailed the Wheelabrator dump contract and got sued for millions, and tried to refinance the national debt through some mates in New York, and gave the Ritz a $10m duty waiver in exchange for personal benefits, and had a $10m personal slush fund of CIG money that he gave to his supporters without oversight…..and got re-elected. Teflon comes to mind. Please this time can we get rid of him? He is a criminal and a sleaze bag.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Utterly shameless and disgusting. Cayman, and Caymanians who voted this guy in, he is a bacon fat stain on our country.

  20. Anonymous says:

    So this is the best you can elect Cayman? His history is well-known. Those who continue to elect him are complicit. The rest of the ‘silent’ ministers are complicit. XXXXX Shame on you.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sadly those who elect him don’t care what you and I think, they can hardly read and write.
      They care about the handouts, and nothing more.

      • Anonymous says:

        11:53 here.

        Sadly I agree. It would be helpful if his Constituency would be more educated/informed. He is a disgrace, but has been for many years. This is not a good legacy for Cayman. I cry for Cayman.

      • Anonymous says:

        ……West Bay Welfare……..

  21. Anonymous says:

    What a sorry excuse for a man. Imagine blaming your past grief for a woman (daughter) for doing this to another woman.
    BTW, what happened to the person(s) that drove him to this bar?? Why did they not rush to assist him to his feet and take him away? What else was their purpose? If he drove himself to the bar in that state, why was he not also charged with DUI.
    “I cannot recall” is a sorry excuse. He knew enough about what was going on to send an e-msg soon after.

    • Jay Walker says:

      Bartenders who continued to serve him drinks should be charged.
      He did not drive himself.
      Those close to him that night should know when to say, “time to go home”.

  22. Young Caymanian says:

    Why is it that this man gets away with this? What makes him so special? Are the people that support him, Alden and his government and Bush’s fellow church members really that blind? Come on people. You have been allowing this man to get away with this.

  23. Anonymous says:

    shame on those who defended him in court.

    • Anonymous says:

      Shame? Grow up! The real shame is on us as a people. West Bay votes in their Don religiously. He will be voted in again. We vote in others hoping they will control the him, not get in bed with him. How naive! Why did we think they had moral compasses? We’ve taken the back seat and hope average and less than average persons lead with knowledge and dignity. Look at our Minister of Health. How many times do we have to dip into our pockets for Alden’s ego? How can Eden, Julianna, etc, stand against human rights, but stand for the beating of a woman? What does Captain Eugene look like? Need I go on? Shame on us!

  24. Anonymous says:

    any comment mr governor?

    • Anonymous says:

      Forget about it. This bloke is the worst governor we have ever had. His welcome has surely run out.
      He has not even bothered to stand up to the corruption in government and its associated thuggery.
      Until he speaks, he is part of the problem,
      Sir, your squeaky clean image is seriously tarnished.
      Show us your integrity, please. Act now.

  25. Anonymous says:

    Has anyone informed the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association or the FCO? I feel another exercise of s.81 coming down the track. We are so obviously incapable of governing ourselves at any modern standard.

    • anon says:

      11.06am The Daily Mail readers in a comment on their article about the jet ski sentencing have been told to look up the article in CNS on the prosecution of our Speaker.

      • Anonymous says:

        Daily mail readers – My left foot.

        Brexiteer, rightwing nuts who crave “buccaneering Britain – Empire Reboot 2.0” They sold their sold their soul for the philandering, charlatan BJ – who had his own brush with (domestic) female violence and assault about a year ago….they have no right to feel any schadenfreude….

  26. Anonymous says:

    It seems being drunk has become a very good tool in the defense of a crime, beat a woman say you were drunk, get away with it, crash your car into a person and kill or badly injure them, say you were drunk, get away with it, I wonder if I rob a bank and say I was drunk if they catch me….. get away with it!

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t rob a bank. Become a politician and rob the people.

    • Anonymous says:

      Not where I come from in the UK. Magistrates there will probably double your sentence if you try the drunk, drugged or under the influence of meds excuse. Before the pandemic, they’d even started kicking back at the old ‘mental health’ get out of jail card in cases involving violence. If he’d faced them, he’d be eating Christmas dinner in jail.

  27. Anonymous says:

    What if he had accidentally killed her? Why were the charges understated in the first place?? (To only go to summary court) and why wasnt Alberga silenced from making bullshit speculative comments?

  28. Anonymous says:

    “not recording the conviction “would be disproportionate and send out entirely the wrong message as to how serious matters are considered by the courts”.

    Really, by this action the courts have sent out a very clear message, twice! beating up a woman is okay if you say sorry!!

  29. Anonymous says:

    Caymania’s(The ruling party of Caymanians) ignorance is all powerful and undefeatable on this island. Better to leave while you can if you can.

  30. Anonymous says:

    The video should be leaked. It will make it harder for people to ignore, and public pressure is seemingly the only solution to this horror.

  31. JTB says:

    Lol at the Magistrate’s opinion of this thug’s ‘exemplary character’

    Not a great advert for Caymanian justice

  32. Anonymous says:

    It is sad that our Prime Minister believes removing Bush as Speaker will bring down the government.

    Leaving him as Speaker should be what brings down the government.

    That the other MP’s remain silent is a disgrace.

  33. Anonymous says:

    Please get the footage of this violent hate crime to the UK Government, and we the people need to take action now too. Mac needs to be relieved of his duties at once, and banned from every taking office again. West Bayers – if all else fails PLEASE do the right thing this time & vote him out for good! This could easily have happened to you, your Mama or your Daughters! Think about it.

  34. Anonymous says:

    Anyone know how to jumpstarter legal fees for Livia’s civil suit?

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