One Bermuda Alliance MP Leah Scott has been given an absolute discharge by the Magistrates’ Court after admitting a charge of trespassing.

The court heard the incident on January 29 came as a result of a long-lasting love triangle involving the MP, the complainant Sonia Williams and a man romantically involved with them both.

Prosecutor Loxly Ricketts said that at around 11.20pm that day, the complainant and the man were at her Warwick home when Scott entered the house, approached the complainant and began to speak with her. Scott was then asked to leave and did so.

Scott subsequently sent the complainant an e-mail stating that she was no longer pursuing a relationship with the man.

Ms Williams issued a police complaint the following day, stating that Scott had been warned by letter not to come on to her property, but Mr Ricketts said it had not been a registered letter and the police had not received a copy.

Defence lawyer Mark Pettingill told the court that while Scott, a backbencher MP for Southampton East, had “crossed the threshold” of the complainant’s home without invitation, he noted that she left when told to.

He told the court that the offence was at the lowest possible end of the spectrum with none of the offensive language or threats that are often associated with this type of offence, and cited a number of character witnesses presenting Scott as an upstanding member of society.

“She is an honest, hardworking, trustworthy and upstanding member of our community,” he said. “I would say with the greatest of respect that no one would be in a position to refute that statement.”

Scott apologised to the court for her actions. Noting her clean record, her guilty plea and the relative low severity of the case, Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said an absolute discharge would be appropriate.

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