NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A Massachusetts resident who appeared in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday to answer to charges of disturbing the peace and fighting at an establishment on Eleuthera last month was given a conditional discharge.
Ryan Consigli, 40, a father of one and the CEO of RWH Holdings Inc, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt yesterday.
The court heard that Consigli had been in The Bahamas on vacation for a month on a boat, and on the last night of his stay visited Bay Street Harbour, where a fight took place with several other people, some of whom were arrested.
The tourist pleaded guilty to the charges.
His attorney, Alex Morley of Munroe and Associates, advised the court that his client was not the aggressor in the incident, but accepted that he had played a role and was remorseful.
Morley described Consigli as an upstanding technology business owner who often traveled to The Bahamas and had no previous convictions in The Bahamas or any other jurisdiction.
The counsel also said Consigli is the father of a four-year-old and has a wife who is expecting.
Ferguson-Pratt noted that what occurred during his month in the “sunshine” was not a serious charge on the face of it and would carry a fine of $150 for a conviction.
However, she said that fine would carry a charge, which had other implications that she was mindful of.
Morley also made the case that Consigli left The Bahamas and returned upon being summoned to court, pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time.
Ferguson-Pratt said this was commendable.
She noted that any action that offends the Penal Code of The Bahamas cannot be condoned, but said justice would best be served if the American was granted a conditional discharge with probation for three months.
Failure to comply with good behavior during that period would carry a fine of $100.
Consigli is expected to return to the country in September — a date agreed upon by the court to allow him to be with his family during the birth of his second child.