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Failure to a wear seat belt and failure to comply with traffic signs top list of offences

Diara Springer
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Failure to a wear seat belt and failure to comply with traffic signs top list of offences

Barbados ended 2025 with a troubling road safety record and advocates and law enforcement want drivers to know it.

Cell phones, ignored traffic signals and a culture of impatience left a trail of collisions behind.

As 2026 continues to unfold, the message from those on the front line is clear: enough is enough.

Erskine Cumberbatch, public relations officer for the Barbados Road Safety Association, did not mince words when describing what he witnessed most often in 2025.

“Too many rear end collisions. It comes from driving without paying attention and being on the cellular phone. Most of those accidents are cellphone accidents,” he said. “If we had to carry out a survey and the police had to check the person’s phone at the time of the accident, you would realise the phone was in use.”

It is a scenario playing out daily on Barbados’ roads, he added.

“You’re in traffic and people are texting. Sometimes they have the phone in their lap and they glance down to check it and haven’t realised that they’ve taken their foot off the brakes and have run into somebody’s back,” Cumberbatch added.

Recorded violations

The official numbers from the Barbados Police Service (BPS) support his comments.

In 2025, cell phone use while driving produced 874 recorded violations. Topping the police’s list of recorded violations was failing to wear a seat belt, with 3 043 cases, followed by failure to comply with a traffic sign at 2 589, speeding at 2 096, and failure to comply with number plate requirements at 997.

Road safety advocate Junior Jordan said he observed a “stark increase in ridiculous and dangerous driving” over the past year and his concerns are similar to those of Cumberbatch. Jordan pointed to drivers treating stop junctions as give-way junctions as one of the most persistent and dangerous habits he witnessed.

“Stop junctions means stop even if you’re the only person in that area. Whereas, a give-way means proceed with caution once the road is clear and it’s safe to do so,” he explained. “Quite a number of people are blatantly refusing to stop at junctions.”

Jordan also flagged the misuse of roundabouts, specifically drivers using the left lane to turn right or to execute U-turns as a habit that could end in a serious collision.

He further highlighted the confusion many drivers demonstrate at traffic lights, particularly the difference between a flashing red and a flashing orange.

“A flashing red light means stop, check and then go once it’s clear. A flashing orange means proceed with caution once it is safe to do so. Too many people are using them interchangeably. They are not stopping on the flashing red light at all.”

Information provided by the BPS recorded failure to comply with traffic signs as one of its top violation categories at 2 589 cases in 2025. The Service further noted that speeding, failure to comply with traffic signs and signals and the use of cell phones continue to be among the leading factors contributing to serious and fatal collisions.

A recurring theme across all three sources is the challenge of enforcement.

”There are not enough police to police them. When you are not governed, people will do stupid things,” Cumberbatch said.

He described a culture of aggressive non-compliance where drivers are not just breaking rules but doing so boldly.

“People are doing wrong things and are aggressive with it” he said.

The BPS acknowledged a general personnel shortage within the organisation but said resources were being strategically deployed to address any gaps. Operations such as Road Assurance and Safe Streets remained the most effective enforcement tools. In 2025, 83 motorcycles were seized during Operation Restore Order, with a further 27 already seized in 2026. A comparative analysis of vehicles checked also suggested improvement in registration compliance.

Demerit point system

Jordan called for the full implementation of the demerit points system, which he said already exists in law but has not been fully enforced. He also urged authorities to strengthen legislation around road cameras.

“There are a lot of cameras all over this country, all the highways and so on. If the legislation is not already in place, I think that the legislation needs to be clear that those images can be used for prosecution in court.”

The issue of road safety does not rest solely with drivers. Jordan pointed out that pedestrians were also placing themselves in harm’s way by stepping off buses into oncoming traffic or walking while distracted by their phones.

He also flagged a growing hazard – roadside vendors who have set up stalls on corners, prompting drivers to stop with hazard lights on in dangerous locations.

“People are stopping their vehicles, putting on hazard lights around corners and buying fruits, vegetables and all manner of products. This is crazy,” Jordan said.

With the violations of 2025 serving as a stark warning, advocates and law enforcement are appealing to every road user, driver, cyclist and pedestrian to take personal responsibility.

Wanted man Dareo Mitchell now in police custody

Nationnews Desk
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Wanted man Dareo Mitchell now in police custody

Dareo Theo Mitchell of Chelston Garden, Culloden Road, St Michael, who was the subject of a Wanted Man bulletin issued on January 18 in connection with serious criminal matters, is now in police custody.

Mitchell presented himself to the Oistins Police Station on Friday, February 20, 2026, accompanied by an attorney-at-law. He is currently assisting police with their investigations.

The Barbados Police Service thanked the public and the media for their assistance in the matter.

Man charged with murder and firearm offences

Nationnews Desk
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Man charged with murder and firearm offences

Khalil Lavaar Hurley, 27, of no fixed place of abode, has been charged with murder and firearm offences.

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Ex-Bajan priest again guilty of abuse

Nationnews Desk
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Ex-Bajan priest again guilty of abuse

The Church of England is under renewed scrutiny after a recent tribunal upheld another child sexual abuse complaint against former priest, Barbadian David Tudor.

The tribunal confirmed that Tudor abused a 15-year-old girl in Surrey during the 1980s, adding to a case that has lasted for decades.

The Southwark diocesan tribunal upheld this new complaint after Tudor had already been banned from ministry for life in October 2024. At that time, he admitted to abusing two girls between 1982 and 1989.

However, the case highlighted broader problems, showing how failures in the church allowed Tudor to operate after senior leaders became aware of allegations against him.

In 1988, he was convicted of indecently assaulting three girls, but that conviction was later overturned for technical reasons. The church banned him at the time, but only for a short period. Within five years, he returned to ministry and eventually became a rector, area dean and honorary canon.

This order was issued less than two years after Tudor was first banned for other sexual offences in October 2024. The Southwark Bishop’s Disciplinary Tribunal called Tudor’s actions “egregious and of the utmost seriousness”, and pointed to a “deliberate and damaging failure to comply with the high standards of Christian behaviour”.

The tribunal found that the priest had sex with a girl, known as ‘Z’, when she was 15. After she spoke out, she received hate mail and tried to take her own life.

‘Z’ attended St Bede’s school in Redhill, Surrey, where Tudor was the chaplain. She went to him for guidance, but instead, he groomed and abused her for six months. She told friends and reported the abuse to the Area Bishop of Croydon, Sir Wilfred Wood, and the police became involved in 1987.

Tudor was charged and tried in 1988. He admitted to having sex with ‘Z’ when she was 16 but denied it happened when she was 15. He was acquitted of the charge involving her at 15, but was suspended for five years for misconduct.

Major failures

In December 2024, a BBC investigation featured an interview with ‘Z’ about her abuse by Tudor. It revealed major failures in how the church handled Tudor’s case, showing that he stayed in ministry despite his past misconduct. Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, then Bishop of Chelmsford, allowed Tudor to remain in his role for nine years and called him a “Rolls Royce priest”.

In 2023, ‘Z’ was shocked to learn that Tudor had been working in ministry in Canvey Island, Essex, for many years. The tribunal also noted that after the 1980s trial, she received hate mail at home, which forced her family to move.

Bishop of Southwark, Rev. Christopher Chessun, thanked ‘Z’ for her courage in coming forward and apologised for the pain she suffered. The church is still working with independent assessors to review its safeguarding practices.

When Tudor was made an honorary canon in 2015, senior leaders, including the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, were aware of a safeguarding agreement that prevented Tudor from being alone with children or entering schools. They also knew he had paid compensation to a victim. Despite this, Tudor was promoted to a senior role.

Last year, BBC reporting brought these failures to light and led to major consequences. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey resigned after it was revealed that he had supported Tudor earlier in his career.

The Church of England’s planned safeguarding review, intended to answer these questions, has been delayed until early next year due to “new police information”.

Sir Stephen Males, president of tribunals, has decided that while the Archbishop of York made “some mistakes” in how he handled the Tudor case, there was not enough reason to call for a disciplinary tribunal to review his actions. (Tyrone Roach)

Trump lashes out at Supreme Court justices over tariffs ruling

Nationnews Desk
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Trump lashes out at Supreme Court justices over tariffs ruling

US President Donald Trump lashed out in unusually personal terms against the six Supreme Court justices who handed him one of the biggest setbacks of his second term in office by striking down the administration’s global tariffs.

The court’s Friday ruling was “deeply disappointing”. The justices who joined the majority opinion should be “absolutely ashamed” and lacked the courage to “do the right thing”, Trump said, turning his response into a sweeping attack against a co-equal branch of government.

The broadside was remarkable even for a president known for blowing past political norms and publicly berating those who challenge his authority.

“I’m ashamed of certain members of the court. Absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” Trump said at the start of a press conference at the White House, which was held a few hours after the decision was released.

Trump did not mince words from there as he assessed the decision, which held that presidents do not have inherent authority to impose sweeping tariffs on any country.

For the next 45 minutes, Trump criticised the ruling and made the case that he would find other methods to continue imposing tariffs on other countries. But throughout he repeatedly returned to the justices in ways that made clear he felt personally slighted by the decision.

The president did not discriminate against Republican and Democratic appointees, either.

The six justices who struck down Trump’s tariffs were equally divided among the court’s liberal and conservative wings. Three – Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson – were appointed by Democratic presidents. The other three were appointed by Republicans. Chief Justice John Roberts is a George W Bush pick who wrote the majority opinion, and Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett were appointed by Trump in his first term in office.

Trump went after them all.

“They’re just being fools and lapdogs for the Rhinos and the radical left Democrats,” Trump said, using shorthand for a term – Republicans in Name Only – that is deployed by some on the right to disparage other Republicans deemed not sufficiently loyal to the party.

The president also claimed that the court was influenced by “foreign interests” in its decision, though he did not provide any details or evidence for the assertion.

“It’s my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests,” he said.

Trump declined to elaborate when a reporter pressed him to explain what he meant.

When asked if he regretted nominating Gorsuch and Coney Barrett, the president stopped short of saying that he had made a mistake. But Trump said their votes were an “embarrassment” and brought up their families, a highly unusual move.

“It’s an embarrassment to their families, to one another,” Trump said.

At the same time, Trump heaped praise on the three members of the court, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh, who voted to keep his tariffs authority intact.

He gave special attention to Kavanaugh, his other first-term appointee.

In a lengthy dissent, Kavanaugh said the government would be forced to refund billions in tariff revenue and said the process would be a “mess.” The president thanked Kavanaugh, as well as Thomas and Alito, “for their strength and wisdom and love of our country”.

Court watchers and trade experts said Trump’s reaction wasn’t surprising given how much he had invested in the outcome of the case.

“I think the court was well aware of the importance to the president of this decision,” said Alan Wm Wolff, a former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization.

Colin Grabow, a trade expert at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington, said the decision represented “a victory for the rule of law”.

“It’s unfortunate that he attacked these justices,” Grabow said.

“The Supreme Court said [Trump] went too far,” he added. “President Trump took that as an affront. It’s not a surprise.” (BBC News)

Bahamas Deputy PM distances himself from disgraced US sex offender

Nationnews Desk
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Bahamas Deputy PM distances himself from disgraced US sex offender

Deputy Prime Minister, Chester Cooper, has described as  “fake” a document circulating on social media alleging that he met with the late convicted United States sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as well as receiving a campaign contribution from him.

“Let me state unequivocally: I have never met Jeffrey Epstein or anyone who claimed to be associated with him.

“I have never communicated with him or anyone who claimed to be associated with him. I have never received any campaign contribution — directly or indirectly — from him or anyone acting on his behalf,” Cooper said in a statement.

Epstein died in a New York prison cell on 10 August 2019 as he awaited, without the chance of bail, his trial on sex trafficking charges.

It came more than a decade after his conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender.

Epstein is known to have kept a number of other high-profile friends, including the Edward Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the British former prince, who was arrested on Thursday on a charge of misbehaviour in public office, which is not related to the crimes against Epstien.

In his statement, Cooper said he had received a “press inquiry regarding claims circulating online referencing what is purported to be an email exchange connected to the so-called Epstein files, alleging that I met with Jeffrey Epstein and received a campaign contribution from him”.

But he insisted that the “document being circulated contains basic factual errors that call its authenticity into question,” adding “the fake email is dated, ‘Tuesday, March 14, 2016,’ when March 14, 2016 was in fact a Monday. The other is dated ‘Monday, March 20, 2016,’ when March 20, 2016 was a Sunday.

“When a document cannot correctly identify something as simple and independently verifiable as calendar dates, it raises serious concerns about its reliability,”  he said.

Cooper, who is contesting the upcoming general  election on behalf of the ruling Progressive LiberalParty (PLP), said that as the campaign heats up, voters should be cautious regarding online posts.

“We are living in a time when AI-generated documents, manipulated screenshots, and fabricated images can be created and circulated within minutes. Not everything that appears formatted or official is authentic.

“My public record and campaign disclosures are transparent and available for review. I categorically reject any attempt to associate my name with Mr. Epstein or his activities and remain focused on serving the people of The Exumas and Ragged Island and The Bahamas,” Cooper added.

Last month, two other PLP  candidates also  denied any association with Epstein after their names after their names surfaced in an FBI document summarizing interviews conducted on May 20, 2021. he file was included in the Epstein files.

Cooper, who is also  the Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, said “knowingly spreading false information that damages reputations is not harmless – it may constitute criminal libel and is an offense under the law.

“I encourage everyone to think carefully before sharing or amplifying unverified material,” he said, adding “my public record and campaign disclosures are transparent and available for review.

“I categorically reject any attempt to associate my name with Mr Epstein or his activities and remain focused on serving the people of the Exumas and Ragged Island and The Bahamas.” (CMC)

Killer gets life sentence

Heather-Lynn Evanson
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Killer gets life sentence

Life in prison with a tariff of just over 42 years after deductions.

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DLP faces leadership dilemma

Colville Mounsey
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DLP faces leadership dilemma

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is grappling with a political leadership puzzle after the swearing in of Senator Ryan Walters left him as the party’s only parliamentary representative.

With no seats in the House of Assembly following the third consecutive Barbados Labour Party’s 30-0 General Election victory on February 11, the DLP’s internal rules governing the selection of a political leader are now under scrutiny.

Rule 50 of its constitution states: “The parliamentary group shall consist of all party members of the House of Assembly and the Senate”. That same rule reserves to that group “the election of a political leader”.

The constitution further defines the political leader as “the person who commands the support of the majority of members of the parliamentary group in the House of Assembly” – language that complicates matters since the DLP has no members in the House.

DLP general secretary Pedro Shepherd said the party did not enter the election anticipating such a scenario.

“We were not thinking of political leadership because we were thinking of a Government. We expected that those who won the seats would have decided amongst themselves who shall lead. That did not take place so we just waited and see,” he said.

With Walters now the party’s sole parliamentarian, Shepherd suggested that the party’s constitution appears to point in a practical direction.

“The constitution will speak to political leadership in terms of those members in the Parliament of Barbados, which includes senators,” he said.

“The person who commands the majority support among the parliamentary group would be the person deemed as political leader. Which is Ryan Walters, who is a member of the Democratic Labour Party, I believe, and who is the only Democratic Labour Party member in the Parliament. So, if it is the obvious choice, then it is obvious that Ryan Walters would be [the political leader].”

At the same time, he confirmed that party president Ralph Thorne remains in office and that discussions were ongoing.

“Yes, he is still the president of the party . . . . I don’t know if he has intentions at the moment, but that is another process that we will have to discuss and go through to reduce any conflict or negative public sentiment,” Shepherd added.

Political scientist Dr George Belle said the matter turns squarely on the party’s constitution.

“I think you would have to look at the constitution of the DLP explicitly on that question, because I suspect . . . if that is so, that he should assume the position of political leader of the party,” he told the Saturday Sun.

However, he acknowledged the complication created by the reference to the House of Assembly.

Still, Belle suggested that the broader political context could not be ignored. He described President The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic’s decision to appoint Walters and Friends of Democracy’s leader Karina Goodridge as potentially strategic.

“His choice, actually, in terms of Barbadian politics, might have been quite wise. He followed the Constitution . . . and he remained with the opposition voices,” he said.

“Whether fortuitously or deliberately, he has created a political opportunity for the Democratic Labour Party and the Friends of the Democracy, which is an offshoot of the DLP, to work together and put aside their differences. This adds up to political wisdom.”

Fellow political scientist Devaron Bruce approached the issue from both procedural and practical angles.

“The selection of the third party, Karina Goodridge, is not surprising to me. I believe it is a direct response to what the Democratic Labour Party has done, which is try to influence the President’s decision by only selecting two individuals when four are requested.

“Had they followed the process, they may very well have had two members of the Democratic Labour Party in the Senate, [but] they bungled the process,” he added.

On the leadership question, Bruce pointed to precedent and practicality. “If you recall, Clyde Mascoll would have been the political leader for the Democratic Labour Party from the Senate . . . although Thompson was in the Lower House. Mascoll, who was in the Senate at the time, led the party politically,” he said. “Given the fact that Ryan is the only person that has parliamentary presence, whether Upper House or Lower house, I would think logic would dictate that he become a political leader.” Shepherd said the immediate focus remains on renewal. “The next step for me would be for us to meet all of the candidates who took part in the General Election. Once we do that and we have a review of the election from the candidates’ perspective, then we can move into meeting with the membership of the party,” he said.

“There will be a rebuilding. There will be probably a rebranding, and I can tell you that the Democratic Labour Party surely is not dead. It is not going to just lay down and pretend that it’s dead either.” (CLM)

Wanted man Turvy Federick now in police custody

Nationnews Desk
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Wanted man Turvy Federick now in police custody

Turvy Federick, 28, of no fixed place of abode and previously the subject of a “Wanted Man” bulletin issued on Monday, January 19 is now in police custody.

He was taken into custody on Friday, February 20 and is currently assisting police personnel with their investigations into serious criminal matters.

The Barbados Police Service (TBPS) thanked the general public and the media for their assistance in this matter.

Bostic likens gun crime to a Category 5 hurricane

Sherrylyn Clarke
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Bostic likens gun crime to a Category 5 hurricane

President of Barbados, The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, likened gun crime and gun violence to a Category 5 hurricane, threating the republic.

He was delivering the President’s Address during the official opening of Parliament today.

Deviating from the traditional Throne Speech which articulated the policies of the administration of the day, it identified issues affecting the people and things he deemed of importance.

“Let me now address the major concern that I have as your Head of State. The congestion on our roads is significantly affecting productivity levels, as I said and creating a wave of impatience among road users, but this can be compared to a strong tropical storm when we consider what we classify as the Category 5 hurricane known as gun crime and gun violence,” Bostic said.

“There’s nothing else in my view that threatens all sectors of our society and economy in the way that the continuous wave of gun-related activities does. By far the most serious effect in the aftermath is of course the tragic loss of life and the concomitant psychological and emotional devastation that is inflicted on the families, friends and communities. We must continue to express sympathy and show empathy for those directly affected by this.”

The President said this was affecting all aspects of life from the Accident and Emergency Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to schools, churches, participation in out-of-hours activities, the use of community centres and playing fields and was “restricting the community activities that over the years contributed to the development of our people”.

He noted: “It creates an environment where many communities are paralysed with fear and panic and this will have a long-lasting impact on the psyche of our youth. This crisis affects the economic prospects of village and community establishments that provide a living for many of our people.”

Saying it must be fixed, Bostic acknowledged it did not start overnight nor would it change overnight, but there must be no retreat, no surrender, drawing on his trademark slogan.

“So let us start by acknowledging that gun crime and violence is the outward expression of the frustrations emanating from deeply rooted problems that have not been adequately addressed for decades. We must give our fullest attention to getting to the root of the problem. We all know that cutting off the branches of the tree will be a temporary fix until the branches spring again.”

The President called for engagement of children from the primary level and said it was time for everyone to accept this was a national responsibility to address.

Earlier, Bostic said traffic congestion was another bug-bear impacting the lives of Barbadians.

“We must confront with urgency and innovation the growing challenge of traffic congestion that affects productivity, family life and national well-being. We must also continue to strengthen our health care system ensuring that it is accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of every citizen particularly the most vulnerable among us,” the President said.

“At the same time we must remain vigilant in safeguarding our democracy, protecting our institutions, upholding transparency and nurturing public trust so that governance in Barbados remains not only effective but accountable and just.”

Bostic said there was “urgent need to resurface and repair the complex network of roads that everyone complained about” which caused unavoidable delay.

“It is my desire that during this parliamentary session both policymakers and technocrats would come together in a way that perhaps has not been seen before to find innovative solutions that would ease the congestion, especially during rush hours.”

He said that failure to address this would “contribute to the growing levels of impatience of our road users and the road rage that ensues”. (SAT)

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