By Morgan Adderley

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

THE accused former butler in the $30m Sandals resort sexual assault lawsuit broke his silence over the weekend, maintaining all he did was hug the bride-to-be — at her request.

Moral Adderley, pictured, went on to say his alleged victim, Ashley Reid Pascarella, is suffering not from post-traumatic stress disorder, as she alleged in court documents filed in the US last week, but instead from not telling the truth. He also suggested this entire lawsuit is more than likely part of an elaborate “gimmick (or) scheme”.

He added since the couple has gone forward with their story, he has received threatening messages and death threats from around the world.

Mr Adderley made these remarks in an interview with Eyewitness News that aired on Friday.

On Wednesday, The Tribune reported Mrs Pascarella and her husband John Pascarella filed a lawsuit against Sandals in the Supreme Court of the state of New York last Tuesday for $30m.

According to court documents, Sandals assigned Mr Adderley to the couple as part of their “dream wedding” package. On April 15, 2016, the lawsuit alleges Mr Adderley “stealthily entered the bedroom of (Mrs Pascarella) and undertook surreptitiously to fondle, grope, and take sexual liberties of (her) beneath her bed-clothes and clothing.”

Mr Adderley, however, is vigorously denying that such an attack ever took place. Instead, he maintained that he was “nothing but professional, nice, kind, humorous, (and) decent to them at all times.”

The former Sandals employee admitted to pleading guilty to indecent assault in a Magistrate’s Court, but said he changed his initial “not guilty” plea in an effort to escape serving prison time and thus missing his father’s funeral.

“I am just here to clear my name… to tell the Bahamian people my side because they have only heard their side,” Mr Adderley told the TV station.

“The night before the wedding (the couple) had a cocktail party round the pool. They introduced me to their entire family.

“Towards the end of the cocktail party Mr and Mrs Reid said they were going to turn in for the night. Being a butler I never left any of my guests until they turned in for the night, that’s when I know service is completed,” Mr Adderley continued.

“Upon them saying they were going to bed Mr Reid asked me if I could bring a couple of bottles of water to the room which I went... to find.

“Completing what he asked me to do, I went to the room and I did proceed protocol — which is you knock, assert your name as the butler, within a few seconds if no answer you enter the room.

“When I knocked on the door Mr Reid opened the door, I then asked him where he would like me to place the bottles of water. He said both sides of the bed.

“As I proceeded to do that Mrs Reid was laying down in her bed. She was awake. I asked if she was happy about getting married the following day. She replied she was.

“Before leaving the room I asked Mrs Reid if she would like to place her breakfast order which they did every night.

“She placed her breakfast order (and) she said ‘Moral, you’re the best. Can I have a hug before you leave?’

“Mr Reid was in the bathroom area. When I hugged her, he walked out and when he walked out, I said ‘Mr Reid, would you like to place your breakfast order as well?’ He said, ‘Sure’.

“After I took his order he let me out of the room. There was never any issue.”

“I proceeded to the butlers’ lounge on the first floor. As I was completing my night duties I heard a big commotion outside and I walked out and saw Mr Reid. I said. ‘Mr Reid, is everything okay?’

“He said, “No everything is not okay, my wife said you touched her butt.’

“I said ‘That’s obscene. Your wife asked me for a hug which I did... It’s hard for me to touch someone’s butt if they’re sitting in a bed and I’m hugging them.”

Mr Adderley also claimed: “The night manager came and said this wasn’t the time or place to deal with this and that they would settle the issue in the morning.

“... In the morning I called their phone in their room to say breakfast was on its way. I was just doing my butler’s job despite the accusation.

“The general manager said he needed to see me in his office. I explained everything to them and they told me to go to Cable Beach Police Station and make a report.”

Two members of Sandals staff accompanied Mr Adderley to the station when it dawned on him what the situation really was.

“I was fired immediately,” he said.

Mr Adderley decried the treatment Sandals meted out to him, despite his years of dedicated service.

“When I went to the police station I was arrested immediately. I never had a fair opportunity.

“Sandals took the oath of their guests over one of their star employees, someone who had won numerous awards.”

Mr Adderley then explained why he went on to admit a charge of indecent assault.

“My initial plea was not guilty,” he said. “I made a hasty, unwise decision at the time by not taking a lawyer with me to court because I didn’t know the extent of this case.

“My plea was not guilty but when I was in court the magistrate remanded me to prison for three months. Because I am the sole provider for my family, I was a newlywed as well, three months into my marriage.

“My father had passed away at the same time. He was cremated by mistake at Princess Margaret Hospital.

“There was so much going on at the time. I would have missed my father’s memorial, my wife and daughter, because I would have been remanded.

“When I made the not guilty claim and (the judge) remanded me… I asked her if I was to change my plea what would happen?

“She said it would go on my record and I would have to pay a fine to the Crown. My family told me not to but when my father passed away I did not have the chance to see him on his dying bed, the next chance would have been the funeral.

“It was unfair but easier for me to plead guilty, pay the fine and walk. To this day if I could go back there I still wouldn’t change it.”

Mr Adderley then addressed the Pascarellas.

“The couple as of today are rejoicing, they feel they have a case because I pleaded guilty.

“The allegations are devastating because I was nothing but professional, nice, kind, humourous, decent to them at all times,” the former butler said.

“She claims she is suffering from (PTSD) … one day the truth is going to come out. I will have my innocence back and the Bahamian people will see me for who I am and who they really were.

“Sooner or later - could be one of their family members is going to come forward and say it’s just a gimmick, a scheme.

“I have been getting calls at all times of the night. I have been getting threats on Facebook - from New Jersey, from Dallas, Canada – people have been sending me death threats because they have listened to her side.

“I didn’t have a fair chance from the moment they claimed these false allegations.”

• Throughout the interview, Mr Adderley referred to the couple as “the Reids” and Ashley Reid Pascarella’s husband as “Mr Reid”. However, the husband’s name is John Pascarella.