The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

SECURITY failures at the upscale gated community Old Fort Bay allowed a man to enter the property of an expat resident early Friday morning, resulting in violent threats, extensive property damage and a police investigation, the resident at the centre of the incident has alleged.

The resident, who requested anonymity over safety concerns, claimed a man was allowed through the service gate around 5:33am before allegedly driving through a gate, damaging property and forcing entry into the home.

The Tribune contacted police, who confirmed the incident remains under active investigation and said it involves allegations of death threats, trespassing and major property damage estimated at roughly $40,000.

The resident said security officers contacted his girlfriend before the break-in, asking whether they were expecting a person by a certain name.

Security reportedly admitted the man had been mistakenly allowed through the service entrance without authorisation.

“They made an error at the service gate, which is only supposed to open up at 7:30 and they let the guy through without calling us, without doing permission,” the resident alleged.

The resident claimed the man drove through a gate, vandalised the yard and broke a front glass entrance before attempting to enter the home.

“I was armed at the house, and I came two seconds away from shooting him,” the resident said.

A police source confirmed the suspect is currently being held at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and had been admitted there previously.

At news time, the suspect has yet to be formally interviewed by police because he is allegedly not considered mentally fit at this time.

Based on sources, the suspect is separated from his wife, who worked as a contractor for the expat resident’s company.

Residents suspect that he arrived at the property believing his wife to be at the residence, demanding her to be brought outside.

“He was screaming at the top of his lungs, ‘Get my wife outside. I’m going to kill everybody,’” the resident alleged.

After later reviewing surveillance footage, the resident said responding officers engaged with the suspect, but questioned whether security personnel were adequately trained to handle volatile situations.

“They should never have let him through the gates, and none of this would have happened,” he said. “My biggest issue in this matter was through my cameras, I could see security parked outside, and it’s such a false sense of security.”

In a recent statement sent to residents, the Old Fort Bay Property Owners Association (OFBPOA) acknowledged that “an individual gained unauthorized entry into the community and caused damage to property” around 5.30am on May 21.

The association said the Royal Bahamas Police Force “responded promptly to the scene, apprehended the individual, and took them into custody,” adding that the matter remained under active investigation in collaboration with police.

The Tribune understands two large dogs were also brought onto the property by the suspect during the incident. The estranged wife later came to collect them off the property.

The resident further alleged he believed longstanding disputes with the association contributed to what he described as an inadequate response following the incident.

His suspicion stems from having previously been involved in legal disputes with the POA over construction-related matters.

The resident also claimed he previously raised concerns about delayed security responses following another incident at the property roughly a year earlier.

When contacted by this newspaper, members of the Old Fort Bay Property Owners Association declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the resident claimed the incident exposed broader concerns about security procedures within the community, particularly given the fees residents pay for gated protection.

“One of the main reasons I think people choose to live in a gated community, especially as expats, is for the security that’s encumbered with that, and it’s an extreme false sense of security,” he alleged.

The resident said he intends to file legal action against the association next week, focusing specifically on the alleged security breach that allowed the man onto the property.

“This is the only time where it wasn’t just a possibility. It did result in violence,” he said.

The expat resident questioned whether officers were adequately trained to manage an erratic and potentially violent individual, arguing that portions of the interaction appeared unnecessarily risky and lacked proper de-escalation procedures.

The resident said footage appeared to show officers standing within extremely close range of the suspect while attempting to communicate with him, despite his increasingly agitated behaviour. He also questioned why one responding officer briefly left the scene before later returning without additional backup.

The resident further claimed he intended to raise concerns with agencies responsible for regulating private security operations, arguing that residents paying premium security fees expected trained personnel capable of responding appropriately during high-risk situations.

He alleged that while the community maintained an annual security budget of roughly $1m, comparatively little appeared to be allocated toward training and upgrading security personnel.

He further questioned whether the POA’s own internal security standards and committee procedures were being consistently followed, pointing to information published on the community’s website outlining the role of a security committee tasked with reviewing incidents and maintaining safety protocols within the development.

“They have a security committee, and it outlines the purpose of the security committee and the organisation of the committee,” he said. “The committee is supposed to meet on an annual basis, and the committee is also to update when there’s any type of break-ins or anything like that.”

He continued: “This is now three incidents that happened here where I’ve had horrible security response time or interaction, and I’ve given feedback on each time, and nothing has been changed.”

The Tribune understands incidents involving intruders at Old Fort Bay are uncommon and, when they do occur, more often involve people allegedly sneaking into the community rather than being granted direct access through security checkpoints.

The resident said the incident left both him and his girlfriend deeply shaken, claiming the aftermath had extended well beyond the physical damage caused to the property.

“My girlfriend can’t sleep, she’d have to go see a forensic psychiatrist this weekend. They had to give her Ativan so she could try and calm down. She’s not eating, she’s in a complete mess,” he said, adding that the experience fundamentally changed how safe they felt living inside the gated community. “I went and bought two bulletproof vests this weekend online,” he said. “Is that normal? I live in Old Fort, I live in a security community, I gotta go buy bulletproof vests?”

He added: “If this guy gets out in two months, six months, one year, whenever he gets out, and you have zero assurance that Old Fort security knows what they’re doing, you’re gonna fall back in the exact same situation eventually.”