BY DELVARDO EMMANUEL

Journal Staff Reporter

Member of Parliament for North Abaco Kirk Cornish faced a magistrate Wednesday morning after four months of investigations into allegations that he sexually assaulted and threatened death to a former girlfriend.

Cornish appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley, almost a month after the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended that he be charged.

Cornish was charged with two counts of rape of a 35-year-old female, two counts of assault and one count of threats of death, against the same woman. Prosecutors say the incidents allegedly took place in Cooper’s, Town Abaco and New Providence between January 20, 2023 and April 4, 2023.

Back on April 7, the female reported the alleged acts to police in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Cornish, who is being represented by attorneys Owen Wells and Anthony McKinney, was not required to enter a plea and was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Corrections BDOCS.

However, his attorneys informed the acting chief magistrate that they intend to apply for an emergency bail, which the Supreme Court granted in the sum of $9,000 with two sureties.

The North Abaco MP is set to return to court for a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) on October 17.