The Anguilla House of Assembly has strongly condemned a burglary attack at the residence of Second Nominated Member in the Anguilla House of Assembly during which she sustained injuries to an arm.

Speaker of the House, the Hon. David Carty, broke the news to members when the parliamentary body met on Tuesday morning, September 22, to deal with a number of legislative matters.

“I received a call this morning from the Honourable Keesha Webster, Second Nominated Member, expressing her regret for being absent at this morning’s sitting,” he reported. “I regret to have to announce that her absence is due to a breaking at her home last night in which she was accosted by two masked men who were of course trying to rob her. They were not able to find anything of particular value…She was accosted to the extent that she has sustained some bruises to her right arm…”

Mr. Carty said the incident had reinforced concerns, shared by all, as a community, with respect to the depravity of some persons and the need for a concerted effort to fight those who were desperately trying to destroy what others were working so hard to build.
He also reported that Ms. Webster had been very complimentary of the Royal Anguilla Police Force for responding quickly to her call for help and for understanding her situation. He said it spoke about the professionalism of the Force and hoped that those who carried out the attack would be brought to justice as soon as possible.
Later in the day, just before the adjournment of the House, Chief Minister and Leader of Government Business, the Hon. Osbourne Fleming, said everyone in the House was saddened by the presence of crime on the island. “It is not good for us and I hope that we will all band ourselves together to do whatever is in our power to ensure that we provide support for the Police in their quest to put crime under their feet,” he stated.

He noted that it was electioneering time and warned that all the promises being made by the candidates to move Anguilla forward would be null and void if crime continued to flourish on the island. “I take this opportunity to sympathise with Ms. Webster and wish her a speedy recovery,” Mr. Fleming added. “I call on … all of us in Anguilla who have information of any criminal activity to give that information to the Police in order to bring these culprits to justice.”

Member for Road North, the Hon. Edison Baird, who shared the concerns of the Speaker and the Chief Minister, said about the incident: “It shows that we have to do everything within our power to overpower these criminals because they are sending a clear message that no one is beyond the reach of their endeavours – not even members of the House of Assembly. If it means that we have to come back here to strengthen the hands of the Police, we will have to do so to give them the necessary powers and resources. It is very troubling when one’s home is broken into and one is attacked. It is not the physical injury which the person sustains, but the person can be traumatised and it can [otherwise] impact them for quite a while.

“I hope that Ms. Webster will have a speedy recovery in terms of any physical injuries which she may have sustained, but even more so, that she would not allow it to derail her, so to speak. We wish her all the best.”

Attorney General, the Hon. Wilhelm Bourne, also associated himself with the remarks of the other speakers. He was happy that the incident had not been as bad as was first reported to him outside the House of Assembly and he was therefore much relieved as it was very troubling to him. He offered her his best wishes.

The Speaker undertook to convey the sentiments of the House of Assembly to the Second Nominated Member.

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