Family Of The Late George “Butch” Stewart Fighting Over Multi-Million Dollar Estate

Yardhype Staff WriterJune 9, 2022

The family of the deceased Sandals founder, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart are reportedly battling it out in a courtroom in the Bahamas over his multi-million dollar estate.

The plaintiff listed in the case is Stewart’s common-law widow, Cheryl Hammersmith-Stewart who filed a lawsuit against the Cromwell Trust Company, a Bahamian private trust company responsible for managing the two trusts and their assets in its role as trustee.

Other defendants who are also associated with the Cromwell Trust Company in the case are the deceased adult children from previous marriages, including his son, Adam Stewart who is the executive chairman of Sandals Resorts and an advisory Board member for both trusts. As well as his siblings, Jaime McConnell and Brian Jardim.

Additionally, the children of Mrs. Hammersmith-Stewart and Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Sabrina Stewart, and twins Kelly and Gordon Stewart are also listed as defendants.

To aid in the fight, some of Bahama’s most proclaimed commercial lawyers have been listed, including two former attorney generals. Representing Mrs. Hammersmith-Stewart is John Wilson QC, senior partner and head of litigation at McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes, while Brian Simms QC, the Lennox Paton partner and head of its litigation practice, is representing the Cromwell Trust Company.

The Cromwell Trust Company has also petitioned to have all court documents sealed to ensure that financial details and the family’s wealth are kept confidential and not disclosed to the public. However, Mrs. Hammersmith-Stewart and her children contested this on the basis that the “circumstances of this case do not warrant the grant of a sealing or privacy order”.

Justice Charles has since ordered that the Cromwell Trust Company file its defence by June 12, 2022, while Mr. Stewart’s adult children have until June 27, 2022, to submit.

Yardhype Staff WriterJune 9, 2022