Jet Ski couple beg Cayman’s forgiveness
(CNS): Skylar Mack and her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, who were convicted last week for breaching quarantine, have begged forgiveness for putting people at risk. Last month Mack broke the COVID-19 isolation rules with Ramgeet’s help, when she took off her iMsafe wristband just days after arriving here to attend the Jet Ski event in which Ramgeet was a participant. But despite their pleas, forgiveness may be some time coming as government has appealed their sentences.
The couple are now due to appear in court at lunchtime today for the appeal against their sentence, which has been seen by the authorities as unduly light.
Last week, after they pleaded guilty to failure to comply with isolation regulations, they were both ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay $2,600 each for the cost of placing them in isolation. Mack was busted at the event and Ramgeet, who had assisted her, were both taken to a secure government facility to sit out the remainder of the quarantine.
The court has also recommended that Mack, who is expected to leave the Cayman Islands on 22 December, should be barred from returning here until after the quarantine restrictions are lifted.
But lawmakers recently increased the maximum fine under the Public Health Law for COVID-19 quarantine breaches from $1,000 to $10,000, as well as jail time of up to two years, and have emphasised the need to prosecute breachers to the full extent to send an important message of deterrence. Manderson told Parliament last week that the prosecutors’ office had been asked to appeal the community service sentence.
In their letters to the Cayman people they both said they had been stupid and were deeply sorry.
“If there was any way I could go back and fix it, I would. My hope is that the people of the Cayman Islands will forgive me,” Mack (18) said in her letter, which was handed to the court. “I made the biggest mistake of my life so far… I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest apologies to both the government and the community of the Cayman Islands, I feel terrible about my mistake and I hope that the nation will be able to forgive me,” she added.
Caymanian Jet Ski champion Ramgeet wrote that he was not only deeply sorry but embarrassed.
“I should have known better than to put our community at risk as I did,” he said. “I made a decision without thinking about the long-term effects it would have on our community; words cannot express how truly sorry I am for the anxiety, frustration, and inconvenience that you all have experienced. This is especially saddening, and I would go back and change it all if I could.”
See both letters in full in the CNS Library
America is who you ask for help after a hurricane. America is who allows cruise ships to pick up passengers in Miami and bring their dollars to your shores. America and the Federal Reserve allow money to pass through your banks to counter parties around the world. Don’t mess with America!
I think the sentence should be increased to 1 year prison time. I’ve worked in other countries most of my life and really hate the behavior of American tourist as they often act so superior to the local population.
So this future doctor comes to the Cayman Islands and basically sticks up her middle finger and says f u rules.
The deliberately planned nature shows that she has absolutely no respect for laws of our country and is also saying f u to the citizens here.
Good bye and good riddance to you, once less covidiot to worry about coming back here.
Absolutely no sympathy for either of them.
Maybe if the young lady misses a semester in medical school she will have time to reflect on her reckless endangerment of the public.
And yes she needs to be banned from coming back into the Cayman Islands until this Covid thing is past us (ie gazette her name in the Government Gazettes as a permanent record).
If you are fool enough to come to a foreign country and deliberately break quarantine rules, well you need to be thankful you came to an easy going, democratic country and not Russia and the like.
Sadly, I suspect that our lenient court/jail system will let her out early and she will just laugh at all of us when she is back up in the promised land.
She claims to be “pre-med” which means she’s still in under grad. I hope that no med school will touch her after showing how callously she cares for the health of others.
Hindsight is always 20/20
Are VJ’s sponsors backing out, is this the reason behind the letter?
Yes.
of course what Ms Mack & Mr Ramjeet was wrong, but all of these actions with associated flippancy to the rule of law and lack of adherence to moral conduct become instilled as acceptable when those in highly regarded positions of Govt behave the same and get away with it, – even requesting conviction to plead guilty crimes be negated. Start at the top otherwise we’re wasting our time attempting to adhere to precedent and dishonouring our youth by poor example.
No excuse for selfish and inconsiderate actions they knew exactly what they were doing. people lost jobs we had to quarantine for 3 months to get to the stage we are at now just for some entitled swine to come in and mess everything up for us they both need that 10k fine.
We need to convince people to take this virus seriously. A study published in the Korean Journal of Medical Science last week shows that Coronavirus can spread much farther than 6′ in the right circumstances. They documented a person who was infected following 5 minutes approximately 20 feet from an infected person. Imagine the possible damage these two could have done.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300183810/infected-after-5-minutes-from-6-metres-away-south-korea-study-shows-covid19s-spread-indoors
Everyone with a conscience begs for forgiveness when they get caught. Give them each the maximum fine and a considerable amount of community service and move on. Putting them in jail will only add to the government’s burden in these difficult times.
But don’t fine, prosecute, and put a picture on the front page of the Caymanian youth who did the same thing twice and got away with nothing more than a scolding. Because they are part of the CIG tribe. The only group on this island that has representation. We get it. Cayman islands only represents those that work for Government and are Caymanian.. All others (Caymanians included) are completely on there own or at best are represented by their government back home.
@7:10 am.
I agree. No jail time, but 10K fine.
Going forward it should be made mandatory…10K fine and 15 days in jail.
Apparently he is unemployed, so fining him 10K will be waste of time. Short jail sentence would have considerably more deterrent, especially for those high net wealth individuals coming in for whom 10K is nothing.
In general for Cayman, especially as it grows, needs to adopt a stricter approach to enforcement, in all areas. The COVID/Quarantine scenario opportunity to start changing the culture around enforcement.
Apply the $10K fine where possible, after all the CIG coffers could use it. Jail time is a good deterrent too- especially for foreign visitors.
As for him not having a job. Perhaps he has to sell some of his assets- jet skis for example. There are valuable life lessons when one has to part with their coveted possessions to pay bills or fines.
Their choices created their consequences.
Incorrect. If the fine is not paid he will receive additional time in prison.
Our local community and economy have sacrificed much over these many months to protect our people. Many families are suffering because of the steps taken to keep us safe. These two self-entitled odds and sods arrive and knowingly flout our laws to ride around on water toys. And now they are asking for our forgiveness! Whatever! Get lost! Don’t let our proverbial door hit you in the arse on the way out! Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people have traveled to the island and have complied with the requirements. Thank you to those responsible persons.
weasel words that are too little too late. fine them both $10k and move on.
but how stupid is our government to risk the health of the nation by trusting young local kids with this home quarantine nonsense???
Just read their letters and we all make mistakes in life, but what a load of codswhallop, not a feeling of remorse in either letter!
I forgive them but forgiveness does’nt mean no consequences, they should at least be jailed for the quarantine period.
Why are people only being barred from returning here until after the quarantine restrictions are lifted? It should be a minimum ban of 5 years so the people will understand it is serious!
A viris with a 99.9% survival rate isnt serious sheeple.
CNS: “Sheeple” is a term used by those who have been brainwashed to parrot ridiculous propaganda and conspiracy theories. But this kind of stupidity is killing people and it’s time to stop. COVID is deadly precisely because it spreads rapidly by people who don’t know they have it. Spend some time here.
Same idiotic response time after time…zzzzzzzzzzzz
Oh come on. It’s just a silly little resort island in the Caribbean. It’s like breaking a rule at Disneyland. It’s not like there are real laws there.
Troll gets no food.
We are real ppl here, real lives, and so far this silly little resort island has managed to be covid free with minimal lives lost. Only to see where you come from that is why ppl like you are dying on a daily, cause you dont take nothing serious! Ppl like you we dont need here! Yes The Cayman Islands the silly little resort island.
Donald, is this what you’ve been doing since you lost the election?
This is how entitlement looks like.
Gov should appeal the case and charge they ass more. Bout forgiveness
Not going to happen. Everyone on this Island has made many sacrifices to get to the Covid free situation we are in right now. Doesn’t need to ruined by a couple of self centered privileged jackass’s.
It wasn’t a mistake. It was a scheduled and organized deceit that she had lied about when confronted. Only staying for two weeks?!? The responsible adults at the host household should be in the dock as well.
So disappointed in the family. I know if my horny teenager/early 20 year old brought a chick home and I didn’t see him at the house for a few nights, I’d figure out pretty quickly where he was.
The family facilitated this. They trusted their spoiled brat son and he let them down. I don’t think the parents deserve jail though. They are hard working people who put too much faith in a dumb idea.
Any fool could see the plot from a mile away.
This is what happens to spoiled and privileged Caymanian kids who are over indulged by doting parents.
Politicians in governments across the world have been caught not following covid guidelines. When “adults” in positions of tremendous power set poor examples, is it right to push such a young and impressional girl? Sure, fine her. But putting an 18 year old in general population for 4 months is extreme overkill. I can only imagine how scary that is for her. I’m sure “Welcome to the Caymans, if you break quarantine you’ll be jailed for 4 months.” wasn’t on her “welcome” packet. 40 hours of community service to 4 months in jail… Everyone is quick to throw her in jail until one day it’s their own kid. She was a child months ago, let’s fit the punishment with the crime. She didn’t pull a gun on someone. Covid isn’t instant death. Smoking can cause cancer. If she smoked next to someone should we jail her too? I loved reading all the disdain the locals have for tourists supporting their economy. This world is heartless.