Assault added to MLA’s charges

Bodden Town MLA Dwayne Seymour, as
well as another unidentified man, had common assault charges filed against them
last week in connection with a fight that occurred in May at a Seven Mile Beach
hotel.

“Police can confirm that two men
aged 41 and 37 years have been charged with common assault in connection with
an incident which occurred at the Grand Cayman Beach Suites on Saturday 1 May,
2010,” a police statement released to the Compass Monday indicated.

According to the Royal Cayman
Islands Police Service, Mr. Seymour is still charged with attempting to
obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice in connection with
the 1 May incident at the Grand Cayman Beach Suites. 

The obstruction charge is the more
serious of the two. The common assault is considered a lesser offence that
would have to be heard in Summary Court.

Mr. Seymour is due to appear in
court next week on the charges.

Previously, the first-term Bodden
Town MLA has referred the obstruction charges against him as “baseless” and has
wondered why certain individuals in the community seemed to know about him
being charged with a crime before he did.

The MLA, in an earlier statement
sent to the Caymanian Compass, asked for the public’s understanding during what
has been a difficult time nationally and thanked all for their support during
“this difficult time”.

Premier McKeeva Bush earlier
defended Mr. Seymour in a statement, which read, “On behalf of the elected
Government, we wish to express publicly, our moral support for our backbench
colleague Mr. Dwayne Seymour during this difficult time.

“As a government and as Caymanians
first and foremost, we understand the many challenges that must be faced, both
internally and externally to build and keep a family together, and as Caymanians
we understand and empathize with the pain that is endured, when someone,
against God and against all social and ethical obligations, interferes with
that sacrosanct relationship.

“It is in the appreciation of the
circumstances and of those considerations that we publicly voice today our
continued support for our colleague and friend Mr. Dwayne Seymour.”

The police have previously made no
such statements to indicate the nature of Mr. Seymour’s dispute.

The first reports on the incident
indicated that three men were involved in the fight at the Beach Suites which
occurred the evening of Saturday, 1 May.

Police said one man was released at
the time and the other two were released on police bail after the incident.

Two men were hurt in the fight and
were treated at the Cayman Islands Hospital for minor injuries.

At the time, police did not
identify Mr. Seymour as being among those arrested, but the United Democratic
Party confirmed that the MLA had been arrested.