The trial for Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush began unexpectedly in Summary Court 3 Dec. after he pleaded guilty to three of four charges levelled against him in connection with a February incident where he’s alleged to have physically assaulted a female staff member at a West Bay Road bar.
Bush, who also serves as West Bay West MLA, faced three counts of common assault and one count of disorderly conduct.
After originally pleading not guilty to all four charges in July, Bush’s defence team entered guilty pleas Thursday for two charges of assault and one of disorderly conduct.
“My client is willing to enter guilty pleas to counts two, three, and four,” attorney Michael Alberga told Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn. “As for count one, our position remains the same, not guilty.”
Count one is the most serious of the three assault charges.
It alleges Bush grabbed the woman by her hair and punched her in the face several times.
Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran told the court the Crown would not accept the pleas unless Bush accepted the full facts of all the counts, including count one.
“If it is to be submitted by the defence that the court should not rely on the facts of count one at sentencing, then the Crown does not find the pleas acceptable,” said Moran.
In response, Alberga told the court Bush was not in a position to accept or deny the facts of the first count.
“The allegations set out in count one cannot be seen on the CCTV and since my client has no recollection of what transpired, he cannot offer any evidence against the charge,” said Alberga. “However, the Court should watch the videos and decide whether it wants to attach any weight to [count one] and if so, how much.”
The trial was due to proceed on Monday. Moran, however, opened the trial on 3 Dec. and only offered evidence on count one.
In the CCTV video, which was played for the court, Bush can be seen staggering along path leading up the bar. A few feet away he holds onto a parked truck before collapsing between two large umbrellas nearby, leaving only his legs visible in the video.
Minutes later, the complainant approaches Bush and, after a brief encounter, she is seen pulling herself away.
In another video recorded in the kitchen, Bush can be seen grabbing the woman from behind. A struggle breaks out between the two as he attempts to take her phone. Moments later several staff members intervene and pull them away.
In the third and final video, Bush is being escorted off the property when the woman comes up behind him and is held back by staff members.
“The overall picture that has been painted is that my client went there like a raving mad man and beat somebody up,” said Alberga. “But that is not the case and the video will show this.”
When re-watching the video, Alberga pointed to the woman’s hand movements and told the court, “it suggested that she also assaulted Mr. Bush on multiple occasions”.
Gunn has ordered that an updated victim impact report be produced. No verdict on count one was returned.
Sentencing for the three counts to which Bush pleaded guilty will need to wait until the matter involving count one is finished.
Bush was released on bail. He did not speak to Cayman Compass staff waiting outside the courthouse and his attorneys declined to comment. Bush is set to return to court in January.
(Cayman Compass reporter Andrel Harris and editor in chief Kevin Morales contributed to this report)
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