Skylar and VJ now appealing jail time
(CNS): Skylar Mack (18) and Vanjae “VJ” Ramgeet (24) have applied to the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal after crown prosecutors successfully overturned a Summary Court sentence for their conviction for breaching COVID-19 quarantine rules and had the couple sent to jail. Defence attorney Jonathan Hughes from Samson Law told CNS that the president of the appeal court has agreed to hold a special sitting to hear the case.
Hughes said Thursday that he was hopeful of getting the young couple before the country’s highest court early next week.
Mack (18), who is a pre-med student from the US, and local competitive jet ski rider Ramgeet were given four months prison time on Tuesday by Justice Roger Chapple. The judge overturned a 40-hour community service order handed to them by a magistrate last week following their conviction for breaching the Public Health Law COVID-19 regulations.
Legislators very recently imposed much stiffer penalties for isolation breaches in an effort to keep the islands COVID-19 free, and Mack and Ramgeet were the first people convicted of breaking quarantine laws since the change. When the pair were given what many in the community saw as an overly lenient punishment by the Summary Court, government pressed for the director of public prosecutions to appeal.
The appeal was successful and resulted in the pair going to HMP Fairbanks and HMP Northward respectively.
The news reached the US Thursday, when Good Morning America featured the story, including comments from Mack’s grandmother, Jeanne Mack. She accused the authorities here of making an example of Skylar, especially as her COVID-19 tests were negative, and suggested that the punishment did not fit the crime.
Mack is from Georgia, where there are almost 569,000 cases of the virus, with almost half them active. More than 10,000 people have died from COVID-19 in that state so far, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Free the girl today! Cayman is not North Korea!
She was free, she decided it wasn’t valuable and gave it up!
In North Korea she would have been executed
Most of these comments are completely hilarious.
As anyone noticed that the magistrate who gave these two a light sentence is a Caymanian and the judge who gave the Jail time is a acting Judge from the UK.
Also no one and I mean no one other than the DPP can decide whether to appeal a case and no one in Government can tell a judge what to do.
This is a text book case of the Judicial System at work.
But it is getting closer every day.
Skylar is being made an example of Caymanians hatred of expats. She broke a law in Cayman and gets four months in a third world black person run and filled prison. At least one and maybe more Caymanians have since broke the same law after she did and where is the outcry of injustice? The young Caymanian that broke the law twice went to a club filled with Caymanians and has not and will not have to even go to court. He is an example of Caymanians hypocrisy and entitlement. The world is watching and learning. And we all know what Bush would do to her.
Black person run???
Maybe next time she can go to Long Island or Rhode Island or….
Hey, we decide what to do with our own people. And take your blatant racism about “black run prison” out of here. This little b***h is NOT better than us, our laws, OR our prison.
Let’s see what happens to you young Caymaniann man who came back from university with COVID-19 and breached this rule twice.
Personally he should be looking at the max sentence, terribly sorry but he’ll have to take a break from school and have a police record.
On this issue, these guys new the rules and broke then deliberately, they got a light sentence by the first judge and now have been given a suitable sentence.
Look at the guy in the UK who travel on a jet ski 24 miles to the Isle of man he got 1 month imprisonment.
The picture with the headline pretty much says it all.
11.54 pm Yeah both non-Caymanians
The guy is a Caymanian.
Perhaps Americans will one day realise that the Cayman Islands is the Cayman Islands and an Overseas British Terrority. Not American. Perhaps also some Caymanians will expand their horizons outside of Miami n cowboy days.
Let them appeal and let’s hope that their jail terms are increased
How about a choice:
4 months in prison OR $50kyd fine and immediately expulsion with no ability to return for 1 year. The money to go toward helping all those on island unemployed and needing to pay for food and shelter.
How far 50 bucks go in Cayman? 4 years no return. Sound better?
Did you mean $50,000 kyd? Because $50 won’t even fill my gas tank.
It is astonishing that some Americans think laws in other countries don’t apply to them.I am an a American who has lived in other countries and have been here since lockdown.Was it a pain not to be able to swim in the ocean during lockdown ,yes ,but that was the rule to keep Cayman a safe place to be .The government in Cayman have done a great job and kept the people on Cayman safe from Covid 19 ,for people to put the people on Cayman in jeopardy for fun is stupid.
They always did, majority of them anyway. Who knows if that will change.
It is astonishing that some Caymanians think laws in Cayman don’t apply to them.
Hey, Georgia lets our National Hero Jeff Webb walk free among them, perhaps we should return the favor?
While I agree they both broke the Law, there are two fundamental issues here:
1. Why on earth did Public Health loosen the bracelet to the point it was removeable? This should never have happened and
2. Had the sentencing in the first hearing been appropriate—say some jailtime (to make up for quarantine!)—and a $5,000 – $10,00 0 fine…the country would not have to spend more money to defend this again! The first judge’s sentencing was inappropriate—that did not fit the crime for sure. The worst part is these two idiots are paying a price because of two much more mature (!) individuals who got off with a $1,000 fine, no jail time and were allowed to leave on a private jet—really? The judge here was too lenient too, at that time there was an allowance of up to 1 year in prison before the regulations were changed. They too, should have been incarcerated! Anyone remember the guy who immediately went to prison for breaking curfew earlier this year?
I shake my head.
What these two did was disrespectful, dishonest, manipulative, and yes, criminal—-and the first judge should have taken this into account in the first place! There are multiple failures in this. I certainly hope that the next time a spoilt brat calls Public Health to loosen their bracelet they do not jump to oblige!
If you look at the single case of the guy incarcerated for breaking curfew you will find it wasn’t just the curfew law he was breaking at the time.
In the US, pretty, young, blonde Karens get away with anything.
Damn straight!
Totally inappropriate racism. Shame on you
If she was black, no one would have cared. FACT.
The Court of Appeal is the country’s third highest court. The Privy Council and the European Court of Human Rights sit above it.
If you’re going to get technical, Cayman is not a “country”
For any action –> there is a reaction.
For any rights someone has –> there are responsibilities.
They both knew the rules, they gambled, and got caught. There is no excuse, period. The judge applied a sentence within what the law mandated and allowed, based on whatever circumstances presented. I am fine with that.
The message will get around that you should not come to Cayman and simply ignore their laws because you think you are “special”.
Reading the comments and reaction here – this reminds me of the case of Michael Peter Fay (a US teenager) when he was sentenced to six strokes of the cane for theft and vandalism at the age of 18 while living in Singapore back in 1984 – the fury in the US news was staggering, yet, the government in Singapore held on to the view that the young man would nonetheless be punish irrespective of public opinion.
What is the say – When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Very simple.
Everyone in Cayman has lost their mind. There is no way these two should get jail time. What about the Caymanian kid that breached quarantine twice and went to the gym? I don’t hear everyone demanding that he go to prison. Only in Cayman can you commit sex crimes and assault people and walk free with a slap on the wrist but go to the beach after testing negative and get 4 months in jail. This place is a joke. Complete banana republic.
You are clearly not reading the comments under that news story.People are calling for justice regardless of XXXX.
Of course these two ingrates deserve jail time. They broke the law, so they do the time. simple.
If you don’t like Cayman, don’t come here…or if you are here… catch the next flight out asshat.
Well said
Was the law of $10,000 or 2 years in prison even in effect at the time or did that come into law a couple days later? Per the actual date of the law?
for Christs sake, how many times have we had to say that one hasn’t gone to court yet? It will happen and I am hoping that the Judge is not Angelyn Hernandez.
There are 2 laws in Cayman. One for the locals and another for expats and driftwood.
Always important to appreciate the double standard here.
Same as the hotel and car rates. One for the locals and one for the tourists.
Her bf is Caymanian and got the same judgment….sooo where is the double standard??
Then we must have three. Politicians never pay for their crimes in Cayman.
Then leave or don’t come here
“The girl’s grandmother, Jeanne Mack, told the AP that she reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump and received an email from a staffer saying the White House would look into the matter.” (ABC)
Donald Trump has a month left in office and it appears he will spend that time pretending he won and playing golf. I would imagine he is more concerned with his own legal problems that will hit him in 2021 than worrying about a teenage bimbo that got herself in trouble – through her own fault – in the Cayman Islands, where most of his pals have at least some of their money. If you remember, a US resident was murdered and dismembered by the Saudis and he didn’t say squat.
The President is a great man and you should treat him with the upmost respect. What have you done with your life?
Trump is a f%&%$g moron, a sick narcissist, a compulsive liar, a repulsive money grabbing grifter and the ultimate sore loser.
I don’t know what “upmost respect” is but I would certainly give him the upmost finger.
Fool
And your Bush is a god. We get it. Caymankind.
I think that “utmost” is the word that you were looking for!
“UPmost”. Get it?!
Yeah, sure, whatever you say.
I certainly don’t go around grabbing women’s vaginas and bragging about the vile act!
Great “piece of shyte” is about right.
Obviously more than you! LMAO
What have I done with my life?
Well, no, I never paid a porn star to keep her mouth shut about having sex with her when my third wife was pregnant.
So I guess I haven’t done much.
Then you haven’t even lived.
Do you have a passport? Hah
I agree a great man
A little turd. Nothing more.
This is the most hilarious comment… would LOVE to see Trump and America generally go up against the UK when he wasn’t even welcomed there to begin with.
“Test mi nuh b***h”
LMAO Since when did Trump help any American. Makes me laugh that Grandma thinks that Trump help. Let your granddaughter do her four months and she will be home. She may be a more aware person afterwards. I can’t go home for Xmas either and I did not commit a crime nor in jail.
She’ll likely only serve 3 weeks.
These 2 were not made an example of. They only got 4 months when they could have got up to 2 years. And don’t lose sight of the fact this was all planned well in advance so basically premeditated.
Now give the other quarantine jumpers the same or even more depending on circumstances. Then everyone will realize it’s not worth it and we can remain relatively COVID free and enjoy normal life.
The offence that they committed was not due to a momentary lapse in concentration, nor was it due to them not being aware of the rules. They deliberately schemed to defy the law, because they thought that they could get away with it. I understand that this even included arranging for the authorities to come and loosen the tracking device (ultimately to make it easier to slip it off). What they did was completely deliberate and they consciously put their own selfish desires for a day out above the safety of the general public(people who have worked so hard on this island to restrict the spread of the virus). I do not believe that this couple are sorry for what they did, they are only regretting it because they got caught and now do not like the consequences. To reduce the jail time would be to undermine the intent of this currently critical law.
This is a no win situation for Cayman’s reputation. It can very easily be interpreted either as a “Get Whitey” anti white, anti expat, revenge sentence or as a “respect for the law” one. I suggest that the best solution is a sentence just long enough to serve as a head on a pike to any other visitors tempted to break quarantine, but not so long as to seem excessive.
A multi month sentence seems excessive to me, and the excess appears based on the fact that the miscreants are cool, hot, and young, doing fun things not available to the average Caymanian, and one that of them is beautiful and blonde.
Well put!
Expat-revenge my ass!
If it was then the Caymanian would have gone free.
Crawl back in your holes – ignorant BS’ers!
nailed it!
So the government sets a maximum of 2 years and you think she should have had a couple of weeks? To get further reduced for good behaviour so she’d be out in time for Christmas? That is not how sentencing works. 2 years was the maximum, increased from 1 year. The judge then has to assess the seriousness of the case – here we’re talking breach of quarantine. Seriousness would range from the accidental, which would attract a very light sentence if even prosecuted, to the case of a sick person deliberately going out to infect people, who would get the maximum. The judge found this was, as quarantine breaches go, quite serious: it was pre-planned over a long period of time, involved scheming to loosen the wristband, and then involved seven hours of interacting with the public here as if she presented no risk. So you start with 15 months and on account of ALL THAT other stuff – young age, good character, guilty plea, remorse etc. – you get down to 4 months. That is barely more than 1/4 of the sentence you started with based on the seriousness of the behaviour, and 1/6 of the maximum for the offence. And you think that’s excessive and the reason is because “the miscreants are cool, hot and young, doing fun things not available to the average Caymanian, and one of them is beautiful and blonde”? No, it looks to me (as a lawyer) more like they only got 4 months because they are cool, hot and young, and one of them is beautiful and blonde. How do you think this couple, but particularly the girl, were planning to act during the 12 days of her isolation period that remained when she went to this public event? Do you think they would have left it at the jet ski event and not seen each other again? They could have, just the two of them, ruined EVERYTHING we’ve done since March here.
The legislature sent a signal to the judiciary by upping the maximum from 1 year to 2 years and the fine from $1,000 to $10,000 that people needed to be strongly deterred from committing this offence. When they do that, judges are meant to respond accordingly. I say the fact that she is “beautiful and blonde” is one of the ONLY reasons she (and maybe even her boyfriend) didn’t get MORE time. She conspired to cross international borders to come here and break our laws, with his full participation. How would that look in another context?
You almost had me there with that ‘they’re jealous’ stuff but when I thought about it, would this seem excessive if the girl and her boyfriend had been black, and they’d been talking for weeks about how to pull this off and the girl came here and misled the authorities about her bracelet and slipped out, etc.? Would you be saying ‘poor kids’ then? Or would you be saying ‘well, that’s what happens when you aren’t cool, hot, young, beautiful and blonde’. Because from your comment, it seems you would be saying the latter.
Could they have got less time if we didn’t need to send such a strong deterrent message? Yes. That I will grant you. The sentence only needs to be long enough to tell anyone else thinking of doing the same, ‘you will definitely go to prison, and you will spend long enough there that you will not enjoy it, and you will never forget it’. That would do it – if we didn’t need to make sure no one else tries a scheme like this. But we do. The sentence is now perhaps a little excessive, but not manifestly so, so I would expect their appeal to fail. Maybe the Court of Appeal will decide that the upgrading of their sentences and effects of incarceration have been further punishment already taken, and have mercy on them, but I would not put the odds of them at being particularly high, not with a maximum of 2 years and knowing how sentencing works as I do.
This is the most informed commentary on this issue. Thank you!
Not really – more like a witch hunt
No we already caught her – hunt’s over.
Listen: let me add to my previous comment to say this. The fact that she is all these things that normally get you an easy ride and she was out having a blast, far from showing that we’re jealous and should lay off, actually contributed to her sentence. That’s why the judge said the offence was born out of “selfishness and arrogance”. Selfish because she did all this just to have fun – not to go grocery shopping or exercising or to escape a burning building – and arrogant because she’d taken numerous steps to hide it all, thinking we wouldn’t catch her and if we did, we’d never enforce our laws against her. She was wrong. Is enforcing the laws a witch hunt now? Is McKeeva being hunted too?
If people are so narrow minded as to think race played a factor in this then Cayman doesn’t need them. She is not the only one who was punished, a local was as well, so it makes that whole point bill and void. They deliberately broke the law and now they see paying the consequences. It is astounding that people thing she should get off when she put the community at risk, schemed, lied, and was a down right vile visitor to these islands.
In all honesty, I hope as they “appeal” their sentence, they are given a longer one for wasting the court and the communities time.
Despicable.
I am white and I used to live in Georgia. I think they should have gotten a year in jail. Giving them 4 months was very lenient. They are adults. They knew what they were doing and planned to break the law.
Total garbage and proves that white privilege does exist. Do you follow the cases in the Cayman Islands where white American tourists continually get caught here on vacation with loaded guns and ammunition in their luggage, at the security checkpoints while returning BACK to the US after their vacation? Then look at what happens to predominately black locals when they commit gun crimes and how quickly they’re prosecuted with no leniency. The only misfortune to Miss Mack, other than a bad judgment call, is that Pascal and his partner were not given the same fate, as their breaches were more numerous and brazen. Oh, also lookup David Meadors, who was found to have a shipping container with guns and ammunition undeclared on his property in cayman brac. He was able to depart the islands on his private aircraft back to Florida and has been bad-mouthing the islands since, claiming his innocence. Now, where do you see racial inequality?
Let’s play racial victims because we can’t think for ourselves.
You do realize that one of these two is a Caymanian. And he got the same exact sentence. So your theory holds no water. Not to mention that this girl was let into the country having a ticket it was only for less than four weeks. How was she allowed by travel time to enter the country? Knowing that two weeks of that time would be in quarantine? It was my understanding of the borders were still closed to tourism. Only allowing those who own property Or will be living here and working here in.
I agree with you!
The other thing that I find concerning though is: Our Government was far too slow with mandating stricter laws / penalties. What took them so long? Any thinking person would conclude that some would break the laws related to isolation / quarantine just as some break other laws.
Yet we find ourselves with some poor optics because Government waited until such a late hour to increase the penalties.
I say this because the middle aged Canadian Doctor and his girlfriend broke isolation “multiple” times and yet were allowed to pay a small fine (I think $1,000) and leave (many said, and I agree, they should have at least been fined the $1,000 for each breach – as they also intentionally broke the law “multiple” times.
Months earlier we also had the Health Minister’s girlfriend break isolation laws by allowing her personal trainer in to their home for exercise. And when the “Health” Minister was asked about this he came to the briefing the following day and attacked those asking why?…and the Premier backed him?…while the Governor sat quietly and looked on?…saying nothing!!??
At the very least the Minister should have apologized and given assurances that a repeat would not happen! And the Premier and Governor (behind the scenes) should have made sure he did so!
Now we have a teen and an adolescent jailed for 4 months! for the same thing!
Had the Government acted earlier to make stronger penalties, and held themselves and others – supposedly more mature persons? to account, the optics would not be nearly as bad.
Everyone intentionally breaking, or aiding and abetting, the breaking of the laws concerned should have been held to the same standard!
Most of us have made significant sacrifices this year, and all should be held to account!
Teen and adolescent? She is an adult. She can vote, own a gun, go to war and start a family.
Don’t let the baby face and cute smile fool you. She is a hard back woman!
I agree she’s an adult, and both her and her boyfriend broke the law and should get a custodial sentence!
But she is 18 and he is 24, therefore “a teen and an adolescent”!
The others mentioned are much older and should have even better judgment – so should also have been held to account!
And the Government should have been proactive with having the current laws in place long ago!
Teen & adolescent????? They are adults.
Anon. I am becoming increasingly concerned about you.
Would you like me post the number for the mental heath holine
Rubbish – do them good, give them time to think. They are not jailed in a Middle East or other ‘foreign’ country, then you should be scared. They will live to live and enjoy again with hopefully a wiser, less selfish, more appreciative and humble mind.
Does anyone realise no-one serves their whole sentence. They’ll be home for Christmas if they just lay low. Canover got 7+ plus years and I saw him drive by me after 7 months.
She did it because she thought she deserved it… in other words a liberal.
A liberal is someone who believes in personal freedom look it up
While you’re at it turn off Fox News it’s not good for your brain
CNS: You’re confusing “liberal” with “libertarian”.
No libertarian refers to the political ideology of hardcore liberals
https://danielmiessler.com/blog/the-difference-between-classical-liberalism-and-libertarianism/
CNS: First off, that’s a really interesting link. Thank you! But I think the key is the difference between classical liberalism and modern liberalism, which is about half way down. Today, “hardcore liberals” are associated with the progressive side of the left (as noted in the chart), which is more about equality and empowerment, while “libertarians” tend to be on the more extreme side of the right. Senator Rand Paul, for example, is a libertarian – though it’s a bit fuzzy as Bill Maher has also described himself as a libertarian. But right or left, libertarians believe in an emphasis on personal freedoms over government interference.
As a liberal-leaning libertarian, CNS is right. Generally, liberals put the good of the whole before personal freedoms.
Quite right. I meant classical liberal.The definition has changed much over the years and unfortunately become a pejorative amongst the Fox News talking heads, leaving small l liberals like myself (who dislike the illiberal authoritarian modern left and the socially regressive right in equal measure) without a political home…
I find Liberals are generally not very liberal.
TripAdvisor
“Quarantines breach”
Dec 17, 2020, 9:02 PM
Retrip you are insane. You all sound Angry as hell. And someone seriously comparing Covid to rape? You have lost your damn mind. In the South we would say to you, ahh Bless your heart..”
Guess you have figured out by now that we are NOT in the south. And, you not coming back here would be great too! Yeah we are angry! You people think that you can just go anywhere in the world and do as you please like you have some kind of superior entitlements. Get a grip! America is and has always been a bully to the world and their rules, you are apparently no exception…
Cayman has pretty much been Covid-19 free until flights started arriving, why should we have to be the one to lie down, and have you American insurgents walk over us…
Why don’t you go to Singapore or North or South Korea? Shit go to Cuba or Russia or any other mans country and see what happens when you break their laws. OOOOhhh I already know, you call down on your Embassy? Your full of shit to think that the Cayman people have a third world mentality. Leave already you are certainly not on the Forbes list, so “PUFF” be gone!!! And take the rest of your insurgents with you. Economy leeches!!! Hide your money somewhere else bo-bo!!!
A few facts for some perspective:
1) She already had Covid earlier this year and thus had antibodies and was immune (only a small handful of reinfections have occurred globally – see Link 1)
2) She had a negative PCR test (and before coming?) and at arrival in Cayman (Barbados follows this routine and hasn’t had a single Covid fatality in nearly 8 months – see Link 2)
3) In addition, she was outside while watching her BF and there has VERY little evidence of outside transmission (in a study of 1,200 cases that were shown to have been infected, only one was outside and they admitted to being close together for over 15 minutes – see Link 3)
Links:
1)https://www.prevention.com/health/a31664841/can-you-get-coronavirus-twice/
2)https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/barbados/
3)https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.04.20053058v1
We don’t deal in facts. We deal in “Who yu daddy is?” Next case please.
There seems to be a dislike for facts and science 😂
We are dealing with the law. Not facts or science. If you don’t like the law, change it
“only a small handful of reinfections have occurred globally” – yea, and we only needed her to be one of them.
People have tested negative upon entry then positive days into their quarantine.
You may want to take the gamble, but I sure as hell don’t want to go back into lockdown because she decided to toss dice with our islands’ health as a pre-med student.
The only relevant fact though is that she failed to remain in quarantine after day two.
Another fact for perspective is that four families had to undergo PCR tests and quarantine for 14 days as a result of her conduct.
What about the FACT that she knew the rules in advance and agreed to our rules when she came here?! If she she did not agree with them, the should not have committed to following them.
SHE BROKE THE LAW WITH PREMEDITATION
Ok so the law doesnt apply to her because of her personal circumstances or anyone else who’s had Covid or gotten a snapshot negative PCR test? You’re really missing the point buddy. She broke a law…intently. Full stop.
Don’t care. None of this makes a difference. The law is the law. I support the longest possible jail sentence.
You forgot to add she was White and an expat. If this was all about Covid or a breach then the last breacher would be in jail also. He never even went to court.
12:25 please shut up, this has nothing to do with her being white and an expat. Ramgeet is not white and he is a local, where is he? In jail for breaking the law just like her. So shut up.
Her boyfriend is a Caymanian and got the same sentence.
I agree with this. It looks bad to the rest of the world that this young woman and her boyfriend were given this stiff sentence and the 19 year old Cayman man got nothing. His case needs to be reheard. This is what looks bad about the whole thing; not the fact that they were punished.
2:48 his case has not gone to court as yet
While that plethora of information is quite helpful, the fact still are that BEFORE SHE CAME SHE KNEW WHAT RULES SHE HAD TO FOLLOW there was no “if you tested positive before you don’t have to, or if you nested negative before travelling you don’t have … exception.
If you sign/acknowledge the terms of being allowed in the country, why now the hue and cry about the punishment.
Had the Majestrate imposed the correct sentence from the start, the US media would to even care, its the following that has them upset.
1. The Crown has the right to appeal, the Crown opted to exercise that right
2. The Court found that the sentence was manifestly too light, that Court had that jurisdiction
3. The ADULT GIRL was sentenced to prison, that is one of the punishments for breaking the Law
4. Cayman is “Covid Free” expect when travellers bring hit here …
Get some lives, because it is this same entitlement behaviour that has Covid running rampant through the USA
And what about the other facts that they broke the law in a pre-meditated fashion?
This fact is hard to overlook in my opinion.
All of this is irrelevant—the BROKE the LAW!
Don’t forget the four other families that had to go into two weeks of quarantine, having to take two weeks off of work and be stuck inside for no reason other than her stupidity. This is nothing but a case of “poor little rich girl“. Everyone quarantines for two weeks, positive or negative. It doesn’t matter that she had a negative antigen test, they are notoriously in accurate. But in any event she doesn’t get a pass just because her parents have money. She probably is going to cry in court because “I won’t get to be with my mommy and daddy for Christmas“ and unfortunately it will probably work. For the rest of us, the rules are different. She does not have a home here nor is she working here, so she should never have been led into the country for three weeks to begin with. Our borders are closed to “tourism” and that’s exactly what she came here for, so she should not have even been issued a plane ticket.
I still say that whoever approved her travel should be named and shamed and then fired!
Doesn’t matter she still broke the law!
4) NONE of the other 3 points matter. Law is law. EVERYONE must quarantine for 14 days and get a negative test on 15th day. All other factors are irrelevant.
She asked to come, agreed to the stipulations, behaved like the entitled brat she is, and lied to law enforcement. Too bad she didn’t get a longer sentence.
VERY little evidence of outside transmission .. that may be. But she was handling somebody’s child from what I hear. How would you feel if that were your child?! Thought so.
Please lock them up and uphold it: they look like they have the attitude of some arrogant 18 yo wannabe../ my gf at 18 was so much hotter because we loved and breathed London and proper cities before moving to a small island. It’s a disgrace what rhey have done: lock them up… they have shown so much disrespect
Huh?
8 months. end of.
In Cayman, we have to suffocate corruption and blatant lawbreakers effectively and fairly for anyone to take us seriously as a global hub of anything.
I do not know if the age of this couple (or young people bashing) played any role in their sentencing. However, I am personally lead to believe the sentence was handed down like this because a Caymanian was involved. (Apparently, Armenians, Lebanese, and Canadians with any petty cash funds can bond out of any sentence here) My reasoning can only be invalidated when: the first lawbreaking couple or anyone else arrogant enough to fly in the face of possible endangerment to human life or curfew breaking faces similar and humility-imparting repercussions.
Making one example of scolding an 18-year-old American who was “deliberate and arrogant” and a 24-year-old Caymanian for “assisting and abetting” is not enough. One recorded outing gets 4 months in jail, but a week of recorded outings by two people gets a pass of $2k fines (basically nothing), government escorts to the airport, and temporary bans? The first couple’s sentence should be appealed the exact same way it is here with the second. (No tolerance punishments should have started with them. PR, owned property, and all onshore assets should all be confiscated as Crown acquisition. Sadly, the only way people will actually pay attention.)
Whenever judgments are passed down, it always seems to have a distaste for locals and an appetite for the welfare of foreign blood and overflown bank accounts, afraid of the tourism bogeyman.
Our current discretion of law appears to not provide any deterrence of poor behavior, conduct, or morality that an attorney’s story spinning or PR teams (both permanent residency and public relations) cannot get you out of. However, this cast of shame only appears to provide and promote deterrence for NOT GETTING CAUGHT. These are two completely different and dangerous sentiments separated that should always be one and the same and have been abused for far too long in such a small, “world-class” place.
The punishment changed between the two instances. Try to at least follow the news.
Don’t think this made it on Good Morning America by accident. Remeber we banned Uncle Sam’s commercial airlines in favour of BA, no trips to Miami we’ve spoken about supply lines being rerouted. We yanked our lobbyist out of Washington and did the UK slant at London. CIG is messing with a giant better watch they neck these guys are economic hitmen. Washington looking for Money and they checking their backyard first UK colony or not thats not going to stop them. Jamaica has already been put on notice say no to China or else no visas I believe… And they come with threats first and when that don’t work they come with the CIA and start putting politicians in jail ask Noreiga
We have now got ourselves millions of dollars of bad publicity in the USA. So much for Cayman Kind. The length of her prison sentence is all over the American media.
CNS: You’re calling it bad publicity but I’ve looked at the comments on some of the articles and videos on YouTube and they seem to be overwhelmingly in support of the Cayman Islands upholding its laws. I think there’s a fair argument for calling it good publicity.
CNS you might as well give up.
A US citizen in a banana republic.
No laws should apply to such special citizens.
That’s the mentality.
Thumbs up to CNS comment. People are coming here to be somewhat safe from Covid and are being further comforted by our safety thanks to this positive publicity that we are taking safety very seriously. If you dont like it, dont come here and mess up what you dont have where youre coming from.
Foreigners in the US committing crimes are treated like satan by the US media, with no quarter to be given by US courts. In contrast white middle class US citizens committing crimes abroad are seen by the US media as angelic victims of miscarriages of justice.
Yeah remember Foxy Knoxy…
Are you 100% certain she was guilty? Don’t underestimate the inclination to blame foreigners for crimes. Justice requires pointing the finger at someone and sometimes that someone conveniently happens to be a foreigner who won’t have an impact on the voting public.
They both plead guilty. So, yes, they admitted their 100% guilt. He even wrote detailed letters admitting their guilt.
No they didn’t! You need to bone up on this case!
If she had committed a financial crime she’d of been rewarded in Cayman. Biden or Trump… hit this wannabe nation with crippling sanctions!!!
I do not understand this appeal? I thought they were sorry? Sorry and ashamed people accept their punishment and do their time in shame and silence. What they really mean is sorry not sorry. We just do not want to be punished.
#sorrynotsorry
Huh? You can be sorry for your actions but not agree with the punishment. They admitted culpability, apologized, basically prostrated themselves before the baying crowds.
I understand that admitting culpability and apologizing immediately is maybe not the way things are done here? Maybe denial and obfuscation would’ve been more in the manner of keeping with what you’re accustomed to.
In any event it didn’t seem to work for them…
They were not sorry. They wrote those piss poor excuses because they were going to court and hoped that it would get them off. Don’t forget, Ramgeet wanted a honeymoon quarantine for the two of them after their royal f*** up.
Hopefully they get a longer time added to their sentence for even appealing this.
Wash those masks we used to have to wear. Stay at home except when buying groceries.
The virus is a hoax.
Let people come in and run amok, breaking our laws.
If we do not stand firm on restrictions we will backslide into a situation where the entire population of Cayman will be locked down, again, because of the total lack or respect of these “entitled” individuals.
We sacrificed much to get here we are today. That should not be taken lightly.
Meanwhile… at Fairbanks, she has air conditioner, a nice mattress, bed linen, medical assistance, chores to make money in order to purchase snacks, three phones to make calls as well as skype, zoom and or whatsapp video calls to her family.
Wake up Cayman, if we went to the USA and committed a crime, would our government be fighting for our return so fiercely? Would we make it to #GoodMorningAmerica?
You sound very angry. Anger is not a healthy emotion, it can kill you faster than Covid19.
So many snitches here. Is it a cultural thing?
Ladies and gentleman, another foreigner with an holier than thou mentality. We have every right to be angry that people like you and Mack believe they can come in here and do as you please without consequence. Do us all a favor and stfu, mind your own country’s issues, stay out of ours.
On next weeks episode of Locked Up Abroad…
Big story in People Magazine today. Not sure we need this sort of negative publicity in our largest tourist market. 4 months in jail for a 18 year old girl with no previous criminal convictions is not going to go down well in America. Will certainly scare the hell out of a lot of people around the world.
If you read the reader comments at the end of this US news story, most are calling her an entitled brat.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/georgia-medical-student-cayman-islands-coronavirus-quarantine
Everyone who tunes in the Fox News thinks anyone under 40 is an entitled brat..
Yeah, just like Ivanka Trump the next Senator for Florida, although she has never lived there. Talk about an entitled under 40 year old brat.
Like Hilary the New Yorker.
Not sure we want people visiting that show complete contempt for Cayman laws, we have enough of them already living here …. and sitting in Parliament.
I think this is great publicity.
The sort of place id like to bring my kids on vacation
exactly you are the type of tourist we can welcome, this will just weed out the ignorant people that think the world doesn’t exist beyond America haha.
8.39 Or alternatively, those with a brain will say ‘Well done Cayman’. A place that takes the virus seriously and protects it’s residents.
What about the Cayman who has a woman beater sitting in Parliament as the Speaker, where everyone shakes hands and smiles?
Please take off your sunglasses they might be skewing your perception. This is not about optics, it’s about principles that protect people from this virus. These two didn’t want to sacrifice their freedom now they are being forced to sacrifice their freedom for bucking our principles.
Not Cayman kind.I don’t believe she was an entitled brat. I feel she was a pretty typical 18 year old doing what she could to see her boyfriend. White, black, yellow, blue…..at that age….most young adults would do pretty much what they could to see “their” guy or lady. Think back to those days…….
Cayman Islands is just making an example out of her and because of that, him, too.
And, no, the jail punishment will not scare the hell out of us…..it just adds to the long list of reasons why we will not visit cayman until all your crazy covid protocols are long gone. (500 day quarantine, geo-fencing, threats of jail and a billion dollar fine). Many beautiful islands in the world open and wanting visitors without a hassle that have low covid numbers that my family would rather visit and visit now….not 5 years from now.
Exaggerate much?
Our “crazy covid protocols” have got us covid free. I can understand your frustration with your own inept government, led by a dangerous narcissist. But hey, being number 1 in the world is clearly important, even if it is covid deaths.
This seems to be an unpopular point of view, but I find it troubling that – in a nation that prides itself on its caring values – there is so much desire for this young girl to “truly suffer”.
I am not trying to defend what she did at all – she decided that the rules did not apply to her, because she had previously had covid, and she planned her crime – and I believe she should have received a custodial sentence. She does not get to decide what laws she complies with, and she should have been very clear from her boyfriend how hard Cayman’s covid free status was and how important for the local community. Query why she was even allowed to visit in the first place.
But there is no evidence that I am aware of to suggest that she would have done what she did had she either tested positive or not previously had covid (and therefore believed she was not extremely low risk). She made a decision based on a very American approach of making individualistic decisions on conduct. Again, this is wrong, and is very difficult for us to understand here in Cayman where – quite rightly – community responsibility is much more important.
Still, there is something hugely distasteful to me at the prospect of an 18 year old first year college student presumably completely isolated from her family and now serving jail time in a foreign country over Christmas. A custodial sentence and deportation in time for her to return to her family for Christmas never to return (I am not sure she would want to) would surely have been a sufficient deterrent (and I agree there needs to be a deterrent as well as consistency of application of the rules to all).
Tough call for sure, but she planned this so it wasn’t a last min bad decision. Selfish and disrespectful and could have had dire consequences for the community.
Exactly. She pre-planned this well before arrival. Plenty of time to back out of her plan, including when she had time to think during her first two days here.
Such disrespect for other people, getting public health officials to come out and loosen her geo-bracelet, all so she could use this ploy to escape quarantine.
A few families had to isolate after contact with her. But she didnt give a damn.
Not sure why this is distasteful. The problem is that she and her boyfriend conspired to circumvent the strict rules in a foreign jurisdiction and like many young people do not believe rules apply to them. It does appear that this was planned and she and he knew and with premeditated thought chose to have her come to Cayman and break quarantine on a virus rapidly spreading and killing thousands in the U.S. No sympathy for this kind of action. Asking for forgiveness after the fact is not acceptable in this circumstance.
There are millions of people that will not be able to spend Christmas with their families because they can’t put them at risk of catching covid, are in lockdown or even died. That’s precisely the risk that the people who choose to breach quarantine bring to Cayman. It’s a sad situation and unfortunate that they didn’t take the law seriously but I’m not sure either of them deserve that consideration.
Do you think she thought about how 65,000 people might truly suffer if she had given the virus to others, initiated community cases and caused the whole island to lock down.
In my eyes, what they did was criminal negligence and endangering lives not just breaching quarantine. People here are suffering enough. We cant handle another lockdown financially or mentally.
Assumptions much, where is the proof the nation wishes for Miss Mack to “suffer”?
An appeal cuts both ways…it can just as easily become the full $10,000 and 2 years in jail. That would be fitting given their vindictive media attempts at negative publicity.
their vindictive media attempts at negative publicity?
Have you lost your mind?
This duo are trying to churn USA media machine against us, despite their premeditated plan to skip out on their contracted quarantine. That is vindictive.
Baseless assumptions. Once one news source has started, all the other just copy word to word.
true dat
This is already in People magazine.
A message to tourists – if you come here BE CAREFUL. You CAN end up in JAIL. OBEY EVERY LAW.
The Cayman Islands has a very unforgiving justice system – they’ll throw you in jail for just about anything, even marijuana!
The Madison woman, may she rest in peace, had learned it too late. For you, she was nobody, just an American you can squeeze money from even though no crime was committed. She was a wife, a colleague, mother, sister to so many, who are still grieving. Inflicted emotional distress by Cayman “justice” system was too much for her to handle.
Now Cayman is ready to devour its next victim – 18 years old American girl.
Oh thee entitled privileged few! Turn the situation around and let’s see what you’d do and how you’d react to the sentencing of a island person breaking American rules!
I am from the USA btw!
Not taking sides here at all, consider it “Devil’s Advocate”. Everything you state (aside from the particulars of the Madison woman) can be applied to any country including the good old US of A. Did you show the same support for the Hispanic mothers and children being split up in droves at the American detention (jail) camps? Some with no prospects of ever being reunited. Talk about being devoured.
It’s very easy to look at what one’s own nation does in a sense of national pride while judging others for simply upholding their laws. The rules are simple, make yourself aware of the laws of the countries you visit prior to travel and you’ll have a great experience. An American passport does not mean diplomatic immunity despite what it’s holders may think.
They only got 1/6 of the prison guidance prescribed for their crime. Let’s hope the appeal, and their attempts to spin negative publicity doubles it to 1/3.
Meantime “ The immigration officer convicted of killing Donnie Ray Connor in a hit-and-run on the Linford Pierson Highway in April last year [2016] will serve just three and a half months in jail..”
That was one unfortunate death. Covid is killing thousands of people a day all over the world. It could happen in Cayman if we don’t take these steps.
The piece in People is very matter of fact and does not say that Cayman has done anything wrong in this case. It also has a few links to other cases where Americans have breached COVID rules (one in Canada where they are facing jail time and a $500k fine!) Many Americans are already familiar with their own tough justice system and won’t see anything out of the ordinary here. As others have mentioned, it will bolster the view that Cayman is a jurisdiction where rule of law is paramount (unless you are The Speaker/Caymanian).
Too bad Caymanians don’t obey laws.
Unless you’re a personal trainer, a government minister, the wife of a government minister, a radio talk show host, the son of a prominent civil servant, a business owner who steals pension and/or health insurance payments from their employees, a person who deliberately poisons dogs or a man who beats a woman… then the Cayman Islands justice system can be quite forgiving.
The blowback on the Cayman tourism product is unmistakable. Whoever thought jailing this US citizen is inept and painfully short sighted. If I was looking to invest I surely would not select a country will such bipolar sentencing standards.
What tourism product?
Well said. Thank you.
Maybe if you had some standards in your country over 300,000 people wouldn’t be dead.
We are a welcoming and loving people. We have always been. We don’t go to your country, break laws and then expect to exempted from them.
She knew the law. She tricked the people who were monitoring here into loosening her wristband, slipped it off and then called her boyfriend to come pick her up. she then spent 7 hours mixing with people.
If I come to the USA and I break the law, I should expect to be punished. She could have stayed 14 days in her home just like everybody else has been subjected but now she will be spending 4 months in a jail cell. By the way so does her boyfriend in case anyone has forgotten about him.
One of the main reasons Cayman is so popular with US tourists is its low crime rate. That doesn’t happen by accident.
I’m pretty sure you know the crime rate in cayman has sky rocketed the last few years?
Show me those statistics..Don’t put your mouth in care and make fake and useless statements like these..
I assume you want to go back to wearing masks in public. Close restaurants. limit movement and size of gathering.
ICUs in the US are nearing capacity. Here, they are not.
Almost 1 in 1,000 US residents have died of COVID (so far). In Cayman that would mean 700 dead so far.
Get it? I prefer the Cayman and New Zealand approach.
STOP watching CNN. In some areas of the country Covid is bad. In other areas it is not. Cities are not good because people are jammed together. In certain rural areas covid has never been an issue. It all depends in what part of the country where you are. I have been going to the gym, restaurants, grocery and shopping and working in person since July. I do wear a mask when in a crowd and do social distance. I have not (thankfully) had covid or been in close contact with anyone who has had covid.
On the contrary, I’m pretty sure that it actually strengthens the “branding” of the tourism product. Wealthy tourists do not want to go anywhere where there is perceived to be a great risk of any dangers – esp disease. This whole episode emphasises how the Cayman islands can be perceived as a very safe and low risk destination.
Those wealthy tourists are in St. Barts right now. Not here.
Come to Camana bay and you will see that is not so.
Exactly right.
We make our statements with our cash.
Adios Cayman.
BTW Camana Bay beside the noxious dump, isn’t a draw. At all.
Why are there photos of all the celebrities visiting Camana Bay?
Ohh because US citizens are almighty and important. They are just people…nothing special and if they break the law in a foreign country, they do the time. Simple.
That’s what is wrong with you Americans, so damn entitled and around the world you all are know as the biggest idiots.
For those who think the sentence was too hard. Suppose she had infected 20 persons which resulted in community spread and another lock down? What would we saying today?
That is why this sentence is appropriate and is not manifestly excessive.
If my auntie had balls, she’d be my uncle.
Maybe your auntie does have balls…chances are high.
But she didn’t………
She signed a contract.
Doesn’t matter. She doesn’t get to make her own decisions as to which rules to break.
And that’s why she didn’t get 8 months or more.
She previously had Covid. She tested negative upon arrival. What do you suppose the odds are that she could affect anyone? It’s a medical question.
That is not her call to make.
It’s also entirely irrelevant
How is that irrelevant? Would it not show intent, to NOT cause harm.
I guess the analogy would be like jaywalking in a town with no cars on the road.
Jaywalking been illegal, but no cars in the road making the prosecution of jaywalkers pointless
8:48 The odds of her infecting others matter not one bit!!! She knew the requirements BEFORE she arrived. That entitled little thing thought she was “special” and that laws don’t apply to her. Surprise, honey!
Fascinating how people think they can define someone’s entire character by one action
Cayman kind ha ha..
9:14 Fascinating how one’s actions speak louder than baseless words.
Zero obviously… But try to tell that to the locals who seem to be baying for blood.
I’m not sure how they square that with their Christian values; not casting the first stone, turning the other cheek etc…
8:45, we will come for yours next.
No doubt.
8:45 Locals have EVERY right to demand and expect justice to prevail in this situation. This year has been incredibly difficult and everyone in the community sacrificed a lot to get where we are today. This two bit ninny and her dim witted p**** whipped boyfriend do not get to jeopardize the health and safety of the community. She knew what she signed up for when she came here and as a med student she should be ashamed of herself.
Can we revisit this discussion please when Mr Speaker receives his sentence? It would be very interesting to compare and contrast. For that matter, why not just compare with all of the hundreds of other cases where Caymanians have walked free on far more serious charges and the Crown has not chosen to appeal. There is an unfortunate double standard in Cayman and a habit of demonising non-Caymanians while giving Caymanians a free pass. And the more connected you are, the easier it is to get that free pass, no matter what the crime.
Can anyone tell me what exactly is Ms. Mack’s visit status. Does she have property here or relatives? Or am I totally wrong in thinking she is visiting with her “boyfriend”. And when did we open our borders to visitors?
Exactly!
Agree. This entire embarrassing spectacle could have been avoided if Travel Cayman has prevented her trip. We are not open to tourists.
Travel Cayman, you had one job! Come on!
Skylar’s grandmother did an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America this morning. She asked “Why should she (Skylar) be made an example of?”. Pretty clear where Skylar got her sense of entitlement from!
Maybe if grandma had raised Skylar to be responsible and not to think that laws apply to “others”, Skylar wouldn’t be in the mess she’s in.
6.29. Sense of entitlement? Ooohhhh….pot, kettle, black methinks. Big Mac, Jon Jon’s wife…Need I go on?
@2:10 am I’m going to assume that you were inebriated when you wrote your comment at 2 AM, because clearly you weren’t thinking straight. You’ve implied that the pot (me) is calling the kettle (Skylar) black, because some of our Caymanian politicians clearly exhibit a sense of entitlement as well. Well, I’ll ask you this; what does someone else’s sense of entitlement have to do with me? What, because Big Mac and Jon Jon are Caymanian that I, as a Caymanian (which I am by the way) have a sense of entitlement as well? Pretty idiotic for you to generalize. I’m an individual human being. I wasn’t raised by Big Mac. My life experiences have been different to that of Jon Jon. So why would you assume that I share their sense of entitlement? Because of my nationality? Because of my racial composition? You clearly practice painting all Caymanians with the same brush, which is absolutely ridiculous.
Had Skylar been my granddaughter, or my daughter, I’d be embarrassed that someone that I had influenced and mentored their entire life would display such a blatant disregard for not only other human beings, but also the laws of a hosting country. I would be chastising SKYLAR. I would not be going on morning news shows, moaning that my granddaughter was being treated unfairly. She did the crime. She should now do the time.
Yes, their actions were potentially very dangerous, dumb, selfish and reckless. An example had to be made of them (and hopefully all others that have or will break their COVID-19 quarantine), however, young people do stupid things sometimes; we have all been young and dumb. I really believe that a four months prison sentence was extremely harsh.
I assume you want to go back to wearing masks in public. Close restaurants. limit movement and size of gathering.
There’s a vaccine!!!!!!! Get with the times!
The vaccine doesnt stop the virus from spreading. GET A CLUE!!
Justice should not be blind, it should also show mercy, grace and forgiveness. At the end of the day, no one was harmed. So sad to see based on most of the comments that the focus is on destroying the lives of these two young people for their youthful indiscretions; this is not the Cayman Islands I know. The punishment do not fit the crime…let them go. What goes around, comes around.
BS
Lots of people were harmed, including several who were forced into isolation. All of us were risked.
I agree that it does seem harsh at first glance but the consequences of introduced community spread could be devastating. Just look at the hospitals in the US. It is precisely because there are some “dumb” people choosing to come here that there needs to be a strong deterrent so they take the situation seriously. A fine paid by someone’s parents and some volunteer work wouldn’t suffice and also doesn’t reflect the risk that results from quarantine breaches. Her age was taken into consideration when she was given four months instead of two years. I also don’t think it would be right to let these two off and then say “okay now if anyone else does this, we will take it seriously.” The law is either a $10000 fine and two years in jail or it isn’t.
Their sentences are already on the light side. An increase of these to 6 months each would seem appropriate given their evident unwillingness to accept culpability.
Exactly. Cuts both ways when you appeal.
I wonder whose watchful eyes reported them in the first place and who is really behind the appeal.
Girl with no previous, pleads guilty, fortunately doesn’t harm anyone gets four months.
Makeeva, hasn’t plead guilty to the main charge, has previous, beat the sh*t out of an innoncent girl, dozens of witnesses, CCTV footage, hurled missiles and unfounded obscenities not to mention insulting the modesty of a woman…. let’s have a sweepstake as to how long he’ll get.
I’ll bet my bottom dollar if it’s less than four months it’ll be all over Good Morning America, in fact, I’ll make sure of it!
Connvicted felon Sandra Hill only gets a $3k fine after years of harassing people. If I were a tourist Non Caymanian I wouldn’t want to set foot here either. This island isn’t what it used to be. And as a Caymanian I am disgusted by what our “justice system” is dishing out.
Based on our justice system, if Ramjeet beat the shit out of her he would be a Civil Servant by now.
This is exactly the point most are missing. It’s not them versus us. It is our double standards that are being questioned. But our self righteousness doesn’t allow most to see this fact.
I think you were inebriated? His comment was clearly in relation to the selective application of the law. And how this manifest itself in relation to connected locals versus unconnected expatriates.
Sorry disregard this comment. It was in relation to another post
Deliberation No. 11 on prevention of arbitrary deprivation of liberty in the context of public health emergencies.
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/DeliberationNo11.pdf
IV. Necessity and proportionality of the deprivation of liberty
11. Moreover, even the lawful deprivation of liberty may still be arbitrary if such
detention is not strictly necessary or a proportionate measure in pursuance of a legitimate
aim. In particular, States must be mindful that detention that initially satisfied the
requirements of necessity and proportionality may no longer be justified insofar as the
circumstances may have changed significantly.
15. The Working Group is aware that COVID-19 mostly affects persons older than 60
years of age, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding, persons with underlying
health conditions,16 and persons with disabilities. It therefore recommends that States treat
all such individuals as vulnerable. States should also refrain from holding such individuals in
places of deprivation of liberty where the risk to their physical and mental integrity and life
is heightened.
All States must comply with their obligations under international human rights law,
including customary international law.
V. Right to challenge the lawfulness of the deprivation of liberty.
Such individuals must also be ensured that they are able to exercise this right effectively by,
inter alia, having access to legal assistance.
VI. Right to a fair trial
X. Independent oversight and cooperation with human rights mechanisms.
The Working Group emphasizes the importance of independent oversight by national
and international human rights mechanisms over all places of deprivation of liberty to
minimize the occurrence of instances of arbitrary deprivation of liberty
Sounds like shitty USA law..She is in a British territory..doesn’t apply here..different strokes..
By Cayman standards, their sentence was ridiculously harsh. If they had stabbed someone they would not be in jail yet.
They committed a real crime! it’s not like they were a public figure who savagely assaulted a bar manager for over half an hour… we have standards here in cayman!
They’ve committed a crime on what possible basis can they appeal? Because you’re young, stupid, sorry and have no prior convictions is not a valid defense.
Crime? What crime?
real crimes not even investigated in Cayman, such as seized dirt bikes that were stolen from Police station for example.
Or Julianna O’Connor-Connolly was never investigated by Anti-Corruption Committee after the auditor general raised concerns again about her use of public money
If there wasn’t a crime why did she plead guilty?
Not a defence, but mitigating circumstances when it comes to sentencing.
Agreed, hence why they only got 4 months.
Exactly! They could have gotten 2 YEARS plus the $10K fine. The judge was obviously not trying to be excessively harsh.
I am waiting to see who was involved in the other cases that have been “under investigation” for weeks. Why the secrecy and no information for the public?. No doubt jail time will be handed out no matter what the nationality of those involved.
@ 5:31 pm, Wanna bet?
3rd time to Court. Yet the double escapee hasn’t been to Court once.
Triple
He won’t be able to attend court until his Covid status is negative
yeah becareful what ya wish for with appeals court…penalty was up to 2yrs so better hope it dont go the other way
The total disregard and selfishness is EXACTLY the reason this punishment needs to stick.
Those who live here have sacrificed a lot to stay safe and are the envy of the world. The likes of Mack and her excuse-expousing family are the PRECISE reason we are having to be super slow and cautious as we open ourselves up again.
The reality is, the world is full of those who go about with total disregard for others.
So what if she has tested negative.
What if she was positive?
What would be the excuse then?
Would the same family and friends say “you are right” and let her get even harsher penalies?
We dodged a bullet – I am not sure how many Macks it will take before we aren’t so lucky.
What I am sure of is that she deserves the sMack she got, and so does he for disregarding the nation he calls home.
What about Mckeeva?
Twenty years in Northward should be about right!
And what will you do when he gets a pat on the wrist? Which is inevitable. He’s Mr. West Bay. He’ll play the mental health card. Sound familiar (19 year old) Funny how we are such honorable, intelligent, world class people until we get caught. Then we have mental health problems.
So what if she tested positive. We dodged a bullet. You do realize there was no bullet? It’s this kind of paranoia why we’ve suffered so much financially, lost our freedoms and have no clue what our government will do next.
We are more free here than anywhere else in the world including the USA. We have no community spread, can meet with our families without fear of giving them the virus and we no longer have to wear masks or social distance. Her actions could have taken away those freedoms overnight..
I would rather suffer financially than be dead or be the cause of any of my family or friends death.
Maybe they will keep protecting us from the self righteous sanctimonious selfish dicks out there without caving to bravado and entitlement… just a thought. Cayman strong, for a change.
Okay Mac, Dr. Take the Stand, Personal Trainer, Build the schools and our education system will become world class. Cayman has succeeded because it remained English and has the fairest tax system in the world. These two facts have kept us going despite the national pastime of sweeping internal shenanigans under the rug. Whatever sentence these two get I trust you will ask for 5 times more for the 19 year old man running around with Covid and actually putting people at risk! But you won’t, will you? Why is that?
Yes, weve suffered financially and lost our freedoms especially during the first lockdown yet if she had infected others and we had community spread causing another lockdown, youre defending the person who would have set that ball in motion.
Make sure you speak up with the next case. You know the one where the person actually has Covid and escaped.
“If”!
Move. Far away. Preferably in some other universe. You are too smart for us all.
Envy of the world? In which parallel universe?
Being locked on an island for a year while the economy crashes is not the envy of the world.
Can you name any country whose economy did not take a hit because of the global pandemic? Is any other tourist destination that is open booming with business? And fulll of freedom? No masks? No community spread.
You aren’t comparing apples to apples. Currently we are NOT a tourist destination. Hence the question, how did this girl get in?
Why didn’t you leave
They couuld have been fined 10,000 each and 15 days in Jail, like same time in isolation
The jail time could be increased.
Agreed. It was so blatant and involved multiple frauds, on the health and immigration authorities. The sentence should be 6 months.