(CMR) Former commanding officer of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, David Curley, has been ordered to serve six months in prison for corruption. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison with 12 months suspended.
Curley (55) was accused of asking a member of the Order of St John for nomination to join the organization in exchange for firearms and an appointment as legal adviser to the regiment.
The offense took place over several months in 2015 before Curley’s promotion to head of the RBR with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in February 2016, according to a Royal Gazette report.
The prosecution had pushed for a custodial sentence; however, they did not object to a suspended sentence if other punishments were included. Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe said a custodial sentence was needed to send a message.
Curley served the Royal Regiment for 30 years and was placed on leave in 2019 due to the alleged corruption. He was fired from the organization last year after he pleaded guilty.
He is expected to appeal the sentence. The Gazette reported that immediately after his sentencing, Curley's attorney Mark Pettingill asked if bail could be granted so that he could file an appeal.
However, the prosecution objected, arguing that bail could only be granted once an appeal had been submitted.
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