The Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs announced his impending retirement from politics after more than 35 years of serving the Progressive Labour Party.

Walter Roban said that it was “now time to move into the next phase” of his life in a statement in which he revealed that he would not be contesting the next General Election.

He added: “My life has always been about service, and political service has taken precedence for the past 25 years.

“It was never meant to be a lifelong job and I am now at the point where I am ready to make a shift.”

Mr Roban joined the PLP in the late 1980s as a party officer and for decades helped to shape the group’s policies, strategies and goals.

He helped to usher in an historic landside victory in 1998, and had since worked in by-elections and General Election campaigns.

He was appointed to the Senate in 2003 under former PLP premier Alex Scott.

He won his seat in the General Election of 2007 and succeeded union stalwart Ottiwell Simmons as MP of Pembroke East Central.

Mr Roban went on to serve in several cabinets and shadow cabinets, taking on the role of deputy premier in 2017.

His retirement came not long after David Burt, the Premier, twice moved to dispel rumours of dissension within the party.

The Premier paid tribute to Mr Roban by highlighting his “unselfish service”.

He said his deputy “is leaving on his own terms and sets a powerful example of how to step aside to make way for the next generation of PLP leaders”.

He also said Mr Roban played a key role in him joining the ruling party.

The PLP said the retirement of Mr Roban and Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, who will also step down at the next General Election, “is a natural part of political life, allowing for new ideas and fresh energy to enter the political arena”.

Elsewhere in July, the community reacted in shock and dismay after six people died in two separate incidents within a week.

In the first incident, four people were found dead in an apartment in South Terrace, Pembroke.

In the July 7 discovery, police and emergency services found two adults and two children unresponsive in an apartment in the dense residential area near the National Sports Centre in Devonshire.

Police later said the victims were Na-Vii Trimm-Parfitt, 4, Drae-E Trimm-Parfitt, 9, Nicole Parfitt, 39, and Ramon Trimm, 40.

A resident said that he had heard a number of rumours about what had happened, which he hoped were untrue.

David Burt, the Premier, said the incident was an “unimaginable tragedy”.

He added: “The grief and pain for this family is heart-wrenching and as a community we must support them with love and all necessary assistance.”

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, added: “This Friswells Hill community is a tight-knit one and I know first-hand that everyone is affected by the events of today.”

Days later on July 11, two men were found unresponsive with gunshot wounds on Somerset Road near Fort Scaur.

Police identified the victims as 18-year-old Razi Garland and 19-year-old Amon Robinson.

Na’imah Astwood, the Acting Commissioner of Police at the time, said: “As the Acting Commissioner of Police, I am not only speaking to you as a law enforcement official but I am also speaking to you as a member of this close-knit community of Bermuda.

“I understand the fear and uncertainty that these incidents have brought upon all of us. Please know that the Bermuda Police Service are fully committed to thoroughly investigating and bringing clarity to the circumstances surrounding these incidents.”

The Berkeley Institute said that the two young men were “cherished members of our graduating class of 2023” and their loss had profoundly affected the school community.

The school added: “This tragedy is especially heartbreaking, as Razi is the son of one of our esteemed teachers.

“Words cannot express the depth of our anguish for our colleague and both extended families during this incredibly difficult time.”

In a meeting of the Senate, senators paid tribute to the victims of the tragedies.

Lindsay Simmons, who is a relative of those found at the South Terrace apartment, highlighted the tragic nature of the events.

The senator said that each night since the incident, “I toss and turn and try to imagine how each of these families are going to be able to pick up the pieces and move forward”.

Opposition senator Dwayne Robinson said the tragedies warranted a united response from the Senate.

Robin Tucker, the Opposition Senate Leader, called on residents to consider the families affected by tragedies before they shared information on social media or via mobile phone.

Owen Darrell, the Government Senate Leader, said he was saddened by the deaths.

Two New Orleans musicians who were caught with more than $28,000 at the airport when they planned to fly back to the United States were sentenced to ten months behind bars.

Thaddeus Ramsey, 29, and Merrill Boyd, 35, admitted conspiring with others to remove criminal property from the island.

The court heard that Ramsey, a bandleader who is also known as “Peanut”, was found with $10,445 in undeclared cash and Boyd had $18,537, also undeclared, at LF Wade International Airport as they were about to fly back to the US on April 21, 2023.

Magistrate Craig Attridge said he believed the funds in question “were the proceeds of drug trafficking”.

Ramsey and Boyd apologised for their actions before they were sentenced.