Canadian writer stays in jail over isolation breach
(CNS): The Grand Court, acting as the summary appeal court, has upheld what is believed to be only the second jail sentence handed down to a person breaching COVID-19 home-isolation rules. Thomas Michael, a screenwriter from Canada who arrived in the Cayman Islands in March to work on a film project, was given 30 days in prison last week after he was convicted for breaching quarantine, having removed his wristband and taken his children to the pool at the location where he and his family were isolating. He was caught by the monitoring team during a regular routine visit.
Michael (42) had initially denied the breach, which happened three days into his stay, but later admitted to taking off his wristband to enjoy the pool at the residence. However, he claimed there was no intention to breach quarantine and interact with other people. But taking all of the circumstances into account, as well as the findings of the Appeal Court in the Skylar Mack Vanjae Ramgeet case, Chief Magistrate Valdis Foldats handed down the month-long jail term.
Michael immediately appealed the case, which was heard this week by Justice Cheryll Richards, who upheld the magistrate’s sentencing on Thursday. Justice Richards said the decision by Michael to remove the wristband “struck at the heart of the government monitoring process” for COVID-19 protection protocols.
Michael’s lawyer had argued that the sentence was manifestly excessive for removing a wristband in circumstances where he had no intention to breach quarantine. The screenwriter claimed the entire ordeal had cost him $150,000 and significant emotional and mental distress. He also argued that Foldats was wrong to have applied the sentencing guidelines on breach of curfew without adjusting it to reflect the fact that he did not break isolation rules but had just wanted to go in the water, and that the circumstances of his case were very different from the Mack-Ramgeet case.
His children’s nanny, who was also charged but acquitted, has since left Cayman and returned to Canada. Michael argued that this had placed his family in a difficult position, since he was imprisoned and his wife is seriously ill but now the caretaker for their young children.
Justice Richards said there were several strong mitigating factors in Michael’s case, including the fact that he did not leave the residence, that he had received his first COVID-19 vaccine dose prior to departing for Cayman and the second upon arrival, and that he entered a guilty plea.
But Richards found that the sentence was not manifestly excessive since Foldats had started out with a sentence half the length of that given to Mack and Ramgeet, showing he was aware of the difference between the two cases. The starting point was reduced by 75% to reflect the mitigating circumstances and Micheal’s admission, she noted.
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He broke the law, not a rule. He lied about it. He is in jail for doing so. Good, as should every other criminal who chooses to break the law!
I’m sorry but this reeks of privilege. “I’m going to decide what’s right, rules be damned!”
Asks a POC if they would’ve taken the risk. Only the privileged would think, “either I’ll get away with it, or I’ll talk my way out of it.”
The POCs you know must not be Caymanian.
Quarantine for Pfizer or Moderna fully vaccinated individuals is just silly. This so so backwards. No wonder people don’t want to get the jab.
Sigh. How many times. You are not “fully vaccinated “ 5 minutes after getting the second jab. Quite apart from the fact that the guy broke the law. Whether you think the law is reasonable or not he deliberately broke it. What next – I decide I get to drive over the limit because I think the limits are foolish and the incremental risk is acceptable?
And AstraZeneca which is allso 90 per cent effective same as Pfizer after two jabs
Go to jail, go directly to jail…Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
*Keep that privilege Sh##t of an attitude in your Country.
Good job Judges!
Funny how the privileged applaud when the rule of law is applied to others, but when it is applied to them, they cry foul.
I am not at all privileged. I grew up working class, paid my own way through university working at least two jobs, sometimes three, with a full 21 credit load. But let’s all put away our tinfoil hats for a minute and think reasonably. If this dude was in his own yard then the sentence is draconian. What have we become? A Mad Max system of gulag? Really everyone needs to think critically and logically. This is just stupid. Vaccinated individuals should have freedoms due to their inability to spread the virus. And if we don’t encourage vaccination, then variants will proliferate. So the real threat is anti vaccine ‘people’. I only put that in quotes because I do not consider them to be human due to their selfishness.
The point here is that the law is the law and it should be obeyed by ALL. What if we all went around deciding how much of a real threat our illegal actions posed to the public?
You don’t like the law? Elect someone willing to change it, or run for office yourself and change it. Either we ALL abide by the law, or we don’t.
I wholeheartedly agree that fully vaccinated persons shouldn’t have to quarantine. However……..the current regulations require quarantine, he agreed to follow those regulations when being granted permission to enter the island, he blatantly disregarded the law and then lied about it…….lock him up longer and then require him to leave immediately upon release without getting to work on his film project.
Ok listen. He wasn’t fully vaccinated. He received his 2nd jab on island. Thus meaning he wasn’t vaccinated. His children aren’t vaccinated. He took off his bracelet and broke the law. That’s the deal. If he wanted to swim he should have left it on. Was it a private residence? I doubt it.
How could he get his 2nd jab if he was in quarantine?..,. Please explain how he was vaccinated here.
Read the story.
Was he in his own yard? If so this is silly
Shared pool
How many people who haven’t harmed anyone have gone to jail for dangerous driving? That offence has actually killed quite a few people and threatens people daily yet no jail time if no harm was done.
BTW, Mr. Ramjeet is a Caymanian. It’s about time foreigners are punished per the guidelines. Notice how many locals are imprisoned for drug offences? Ever wonder how so many foreigners use and never get arrested?
And so what is your explanation on the woman beating cases. Almost ALL only Caymanian men involved in domestic abuse, sexual assault and sexual abuse of minors. Only slaps on the wrist with no jail time.
Bleating about foreigners not being punished. STFU
Oh boy. You people love to deflect.
For all of those running to Mr Michaels defence, – I just got stopped for doing 150mph down the Queens Highway in the middle of the night with no traffic around, – I have 3 kids (one adopted), wife and mother in law all dependant on me. Trusting I can count on you to help overturn my case 🙄
What a stupid analogy. He didn’t put anyone at risk. He didn’t leave the private property he was isolating at. He is apparently being jailed for removing his electronic tag. Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of being punished for removing the band; he didn’t place anyone at risk and didn’t breach isolation.
He DID breach isolation and then he lied about it.
Law prohibits you using a shared pool. He knew that.
Law prohibits tampering with bracelet. He knew that.
Should have quadrupled his sentence for being a cowardly liar when caught in the act.
I can help.
you’re the best Korupped ! – thank goodness for diversity 🙃
At least this guy’s granny Karen isn’t calling down the wrath of America’s biggest un prosecuted criminal, Donny J nutcase Trump. Phew!
This is insanity. He was fully vaccinated with both vaccine jabs.
We are crazy here. Do we not look at the science?
Yes, but he was quarantined with his kids, who most likely weren’t vaccinated.
But he wasn’t. He got his 2nd jab on island after arrival.
Well, if you were following the science, you would appreciate that you are not considered “fully vaccinated” until at least 2 weeks after the second jab of Pfizer. And the rules here still require you to quarantine even when you are fully vaccinated because there is still some risk, although greatly reduced, that you can transmit the disease. Now you can argue about whether that degree of risk is so small that we can dispense with quarantine, but the science says it exists. You are running a policy argument and trying to justify it based on science, but the real issue is that this guy was told what the rules were, was told what the consequences of breaking them were, and did it anyway.
I am fully vaccinated but not able to visit family overseas because I do not have enough holiday time to do the quarantines. I personally would find it very upsetting if they weren’t enforcing the law just because someone was vaccinated. If they weren’t enforcing the law, then they would have to change it.
More egg on the face of Canadians.
But the guy was fully vaccinated. ???????
Sigh – no he wasn’t.
The Law is the Law many say here again and again.
Well,
Cayman Penal Code,
Part VI Offenses against the person
215 Common Assault…imprisonment for one year.
216 Assault actually causing body harm…imprisonment for five years.
And where is the criminally convicted McBeater now???
Don’t you think Cayman Premier must pardon Thomas Michael NOW! Today! Clearly Injustice was served on this man.
So…1) Mac was charged with common assault – the actual bodily harm sentence is irrelevant since he wasn’t charged with it 2) the common assault sentence is up to 1 year, not a mana dated 1 year. 3) if you look at comparable sentences in the UK then a suspended sentence with a period of house arrest would not be unusual 4) the senate de for quarantine breach is also up to a year – 30 days is way within the maximum. What do you suggest – he should have gotten a couple of weeeks confined to house with a tag lol. 5) the Premier doesn’t have any powers to pardon anyone. But apart from all that, your post is spot on.
Personally I think Mac should have been charged with ABH – no doubt he caused injury, and irrespective of what time he got sentenced to it would have been sufficient to prevent him from running for parliament ever again. But complain about the charges, don’t just come up with complete nonsense.
36 stupid comments on “CIG still failing on public cash transparency” article….but when it comes to punishing foreigners, hundreds people are ready to crucify them.
He’s not worth the time and effort everyone has spent commenting or reporting on him (including my own comment!!). You’re a criminal, deal with it soft lad. The real crime is this won’t appear on any of his future background checks in Canada so he’ll unlikely have learnt any lesson.
Well, he’ll have lots of time to write a new memoir: “Life at Northward.”
if you think this person was a risk….then cayman ain’t re-opening anytime in the next 5 years…..
It’s a question of enforcing the letter of the law rather than the spirit for those who have the sense to read, understand, and sign the paper. Was there an actual risk? Perhaps not. I presume that’s why his incarceration is 30 days, rather than three months.
I don’t know about you, but I would never casually scan and then sign a document that could result in my imprisonment. You can bet that I’d completely digest it, and if I had any questions then or later, I’d ask them before I acted in a way that might endanger my freedom of movement.
We are in critical and rapidly-evolving times. The Covid-19 variants have the potential to be a strong game-changer, particularly when the inevitable happens and we open up to tourist without the requirement of quarantine.
Sadly it’s more about adhering to the puppet show that the covid response has evolved into. The man posed zero risk to anyone and the police and courts have much bigger fish to fry in the real world.
all things considered…should have been a $5k fine..end of story.
the insanity of the current quarntine rules are highlighted by this story and our government has no plan to change it. welcome to cayman…welcome to prison
Well said. If new Premier won’t pardon him, even if only for the sake of his children and wife, then Cayman society is sick with its perverted sense of justice.
9:30 you are sick to think it is acceptable to break the law in another country. The Premier will NOT pardon him as he shouldn’t.
The Premier can’t pardon him that’s under the Govenors remit
Neither can the Governor.
So what’s it costing us to keep him at Northward again? 5K a month was it?
Ridiculous when he had received both vaccine jabs. All the studies show astra and Pfizer massively stop transmission and infection. Europe is opening to allow fully vaccinated brits to Spain etc. with no quarantine or anything to enjoy holidays. And we are imprisoning people for going for a swim in an empty pool after being vaccinated, absurd,
How do you know it was empty? Or that someone else wouldn’t have turned up whilst he was in it? In any case, you can’t assess criminality based on risk after the event. Would you be saying that someone who drove home drunk thinking they were below the limit shouldn’t be prosecuted because it so happened that they didn’t encounter any traffic on the way back.
I get that you don’t like the law. But it’s the law, and people shouldn’t get to break it just because they don’t think their personal conduct will cause any harm, or that they are special. We have more than enough of that here without encouraging it.
So change the law – quarantine needs to be removed for vaccinated persons
right or wrong, it’s the law, he broke it knowingly therefore he paid the price, fair or not fair, right or wrong, he knowingly broke the law.
Private house in EE. Private pool and security footage shows they did not leave the property.
If it’s the law then let’s see the rest of the rule breakers in jail. The ones who actually did risk the health of others with their breach.
He broke the law and there should be punishment, but really 30 days when women beaters are free to be. Cayman justice system needs an overhaul (from a concerned Caymanian)
Cayman loves punishing visitors. To the full extend. Often when no crime was even committed. Let me remind you about the Madison woman who committed suicide. She was never in a possession of the luggage which was sent to Cayman by an airline at their own discretion. Needless and tragic loss of life directly caused by overzealous desire to punish foreigners no matter what.
Judges often apply the law even when the law is unjust, and therefore it follows that law is more important to the judge than justice.
When judges start to decide which laws to apply based on their personal view of what is just you have a major problem. We elect MPs to make the laws.
, who are accountable to the electorate at each election. We don’t elect judges and they are not accountable to us. What are you going to do when a judge has personal views on what is just or unjust that differ from yours, eh?
First, very much doubt it was a private pool. Second, the rule he broke was taking the bracelet off. That rule is there to stop people breaking quarantine and lying about it, because once the bracelet bid off there is no way of telling where the individual is. You are basically saying that someone who knowingly broke the rule and took his bracelet off can be trusted to be telling the truth that be subsequently didn’t break quarantine?
She committed suicide rather than face trial. How many foreigners do you know who have been jailed for bringing in firearms or ammunition ( other than the boys on the drug canoes?) if we lived punishing foreigners why do they routinely get a fine even though the law provides for a minimum of 7 years in jail?
WTF is the “full extend”?
Yes, I think I know.
It happens every Friday night.
In which case the sentence is absolutely absurd.
Would he have been given the same sentence if he had just left it on and immersed it in the pool? Didn’t think so.
Bracelets are water-proof . Shower , Pool…. Kitchen Sink washin’ dishes
Waterproof as you describe, yes. Not rated for swimming though.
Well, if you get 30 days when you didn’t come into contact with anyone, weren’t actually infected, and only did it once, I wonder what you will get if you were infected, did it twice – the second time after being caught the first time, and visited a nightclub and a gym. But are related to a senior civil servant. Hmm?
Not saying that this guy shouldn’t have got 30 days – quite the opposite – but will be really interesting to see how the sentencing criteria pans out, because that really will be a test for public confidence in the independence of judiciary
Should be two years!
Sure, that is the way!
More details needed. Was it a shared pool, or a pool in a single home residence? If it was a shared pool (multiple unit condo/townhomes, etc.) sure, he deserves it. If it was a single house with a pool, it’s definitely excessive.
If it’s a house with its own pool you’re allowed on the pool as it’s private so this is a stupid comment as that would not be a breach.
Actually it’s looking like it was a private house and pool so “stupid comment” back at ya.
I’m now extremely confused why this idiot removed his wristband at all now.
It should not be immersed in water for now than a few seconds at a time.
I take WAY longer showers than a few seconds. And did so when I was in Q for 14 days recently.
Showering? Ridiculous
Dumba$$, reading comprehension skills would be helpful. I stated two things. One, if this was a shared pool, the deserved the sentence. Two, if if it was a private pool, this sentence was excessive – in fact, he should not have been charged at all. He did not leave the property, all he did is remove his wristband to go swimming in a private pool.
If it’s a single house with a private pool (not common/shared space), then it wouldn’t have been illegal to begin with. He could have said he was just worried about breaking the wristbands, and would have likely just gotten a lecture for wasting Travel Cayman’s time. (You are still absolutely not allowed to take them off.)
The fact his lawyer(s) haven’t tried to clear up the situation does led me to believe it’s probably not “just” taking the wristbands off to use their own private pool.
When you consider what goes on regularly uninvestigated and unpunished around here, this tough stance rings hollow…
So I guess we should just make everything slide then 🤷🏽♂️
Well we let beating up young women slide so sure why not.
But…don’t the same laws and penalties apply to everyone? Foreigners (Skylar Mack and now this man) are rapidly tried and convicted while some Caymanians are given “Jeff Webb-like” deferrals, postponements, delays of all sorts because they are connected?
Ramgeet wasn’t so fortunate but perhaps because he was so directly connected with Skylar’s offences.
I’m a 60+ Caymanian-born with serious health issues (now vaccinated but who knows about that?). I’m quite fine with quarantine-breakers getting custodial sentences to send a serious message about a serious matter. But…don’t the same laws and penalties apply to everyone? Then so should the same processes.
NO more delaying the trials and sentencing of Caymanian quarantine-breakers – especially repeat offenders!
Don’t these optics bother anyone in power? Shame on the double standard!! Cayman Kind? No, Cayman Corruption!
Very well said! Hopefully the powers that be listen to you.
Eh, speaking as a foreigner, I think expediting our cases is actually the government being nice to us. Usually in most countries, you aren’t allowed to leave until your criminal case has concluded.
If you’re Caymanian and live/work on island, being asked not to leave for six months until your trial likely isn’t going to impact your life much. For this guy, waiting six months before he can resume his life in Canada would likely be worse than the actual punishment.
Since most law enforcers are imported, it may be unfair to call any corruption, Cayman corruption.
Apparently It doesn’t apply to Caymanians who have connections in government.
He should has beaten up a few women, just like the supreme leader. Ridiculous sentence
Didn’t have COVID and was vaccinated.
This means don’t get the vaccine, it doesn’t work. You can’t have it both ways
I would like the borders to open to vaccinated people but the fact is that they haven’t. He still has to follow the law.
Why complain about the acting DPP when that office is responsible for persecutions like this? You are all of the same mindset. I will not be visiting Cayman.
Its a prosecution, not a persecution. The guy flat out broke the law – which he knew perfectly well when he did it – you think it shouldn’t be enforced? Why, exactly? Because visitors (i.e. YOU) are special and get a free dispensation to break the rules? If you don’t think that you should be bound by rules designed to protect the public health, then agree with you – stay where the hell you are.
May your fake country collapse when it’s cooked books come to light
10:39 Good, don’t comeback if that is the mindset YOU have.
And if that’s your mindset don’t bother coming.
The recent filming here brought in a whole slew of people. The rest of them, and all the other folks (except a handful) have obeyed the rules they signed they would obey. Not punishing this guy makes a mockery of all of them. It does need to be answered if it was a private pool or not. And now the poor wife has to look after her own kids.
So many first world problems.
I flew in yesterday on cayman airways with Miss Cayman on board; also onboard 2 auxiliary pilots that were in Miami airport departure gate. As today’s compass shows the front page picture of Ms. Cayman the 2 auxiliary pilots innCayman Airport MASK LESS. My question..? Do the 2 pilots quarantine or did they go home from airport.
Kudos to the travel Cayman and monitoring team.
A world class performance by our civil service.
Hopefully this will be the last breach.
Stop making excuses for this offender. Obey the rules don’t remove your bracelet for any reason. It’s really not complicated.
The two pilots are in quarantine as per the Covid 19 protocols as they themselves were returning from Miami from their training events.
They go straight to quarantine just like the rest of us that was on that flight! I know because I’m in the same facility as at least one of the pilots!
You are factually incorrect. The picture depicted is not IN the airport in Cayman. In Cayman you must wear a mask IN the airport.
Like the pic on the plane with the star-dazzling effect….
I’m guessing she was on essential travel.
Meat markets are now essential?
Am I right in thinking he took the bracelet off to go swimming but didn’t leave the property he was isolating at? Is it a shared pool? If it’s a private pool a custodial sentence seems a bit harsh but dems de rules i guess. I wonder if the civil servant’s son will get time? That was a far more serious breach by the sound of it.
Can someone explain if he and his family were in a house (“residence”?) or a duplex or condo? I fully understand why he was found guilty and sentenced if he was in a condo or somewhere else that shared a pool. But if he was in a house, isn’t he allowed to use the pool in its grounds? And if so, isn’t his only offense removing his wristband (if indeed that is an offense)?
What am I missing here?
You have to sign off that you week not remove the wristband!!!!! It is not a piece of jewellery to be put on and taken off at whim.
Thanks. I agree with your sentiment, but you haven’t answered my questions.
Again: were he and his family quarantining in a house with its own separate pool?
And is removing the wristband a statutory offense? If so, then fair enough; but I’ve not seen evidence that it is.
If it’s not, and he WAS quarantining in a private house with its own pool, then what is he guilty of apart from being an idiot?
12:28 It does not matter whether it was a residence of not. He broke the rules, it is that simple. He pays the consequences for his actions.
But which rules did he break?
Taking off the monitor.
If it was a condo, you cannot leave the condo.
Lying about it afterwards.
He agreed, in writing, not to remove or tamper with the wrist band, and to comply with the regulations for quarantine. That is his offense and he deserved to be punished appropriately. The degree to which he endangered others is not the point.
What does it matter? The law is the law and you sign to agree to it… could be 100 miles from anyone but if it is the law, you should follow it, or suffer the consequence. End. Of. Story..
I didn’t find anything definitive online, but I’m confident it’s a shared pool.
If it was a private house with their own pool, then I would assume and hope his lawyer would be screaming this to gain public sympathy (and rightly so). Instead, they’re using the vague “private residence” term.. If he actually stayed in a house with his own private pool, then I hope he fires his lawyer and is able to appeal again.
You’ll also notice the careful wording of “there was no intention to breach quarantine and interact with other people” does not actually deny anything. To give an analogy, I’m sure nearly all drunk drivers do not have the intention of killing other people, but their intentions are meaningless when it’s their actions that put others at risk.
And lastly, the phrasing of “he did not break isolation rules” sounds intentionally misleading. He probably was technically isolated if nobody was at the pool at the time. He broke quarantine rules.
I’m very happy the judge didn’t fall for this crap.
According to the article: “having removed his wristband and taken his children to the pool at the location where he and his family were isolating.”
Was he staying in a single family home and using a private pool for his family’s exclusive use or at a condo?
If the former then I don’t see the endangerment of the public.
I’ve heard that one can swim in the wristbands though.
Although I am curious why these wristbands are so easy to remove.
I mean, that was pretty stupid of them. Lesson will be learnt.
As a Canadian, I can (very, very) easily say that this guy bought every bit of his jail sentence.
If you go to another country, you need to familiarize yourself with that country’s laws and rules. Period.
Breaking a law has consequences, and they are unique in each country.
If you come to Cayman, know Cayman’s laws, rules and the way things are done here. And then respect them. If you don’t like it, then don’t come. Pretty simple, eh?
The thing with this genius though is that he DID know the rules because he signed a paper (as everyone does) upon arrival acknowledging the guidelines and rules and it appears he knowingly chose to break them.
What utter disrespect and selfishness.
End result? Jail. Deservedly so. 100% His fault. Period.
Any fellow Canadians (or any other Nationalities) that want to make comments along the lines of “I’m never coming to Cayman again”, or “Free this man”, feel free to stay right where you are. Cayman doesn’t need you.
I’m blessed to call Cayman home and I respect the rules, laws and way things are done here.
Thank you we’re glad to have people like you here
But why are only “certain” people they are making an example of??? yet caymanians are doing even worse and nothing happens 30 days jail? I am not condoning what he did but then everyone black and white ahould be treated the same. don’t make an example of certain people
He did that in Canada would be facing a fine of up to $750K and 6 months in jail.
As a Canadian, I have not heard of a single case resulting in jail time.
The largest fine in Canada that I’m aware of was $5,000CAD with no jail time, and the dude was literally running an illegal nightclub in his condo. He had over 75 people crammed into less than 2,000 sqft, and even had strippers..
The issue becomes when a few bad apples come here thinking it’s like Canada with no enforcement of laws…
In this case, he didn’t even need to be familiar with our law.. If he went to a communal/condo pool in Canada while still in quarantine, that’s illegal there too!
Taking off the wristbands makes it obvious he likely knew he was doing something wrong. I have little sympathy for that.
Likewise, I feel very lucky to call Cayman my home. I hope he isn’t allowed to visit again, we don’t need people like him giving the rest of us Canadians a bad reputation.
Canadian Person Did you by any chance just lodge your application for permanent residence?.
Canadian person – Da Wha You Get!
As a Brit I agree with every word you say and am pleased that Cayman gives a clear message to those who are arrogant enough to think the law doesn’t apply to them, then complain that it’s too harsh when they are caught in breach of it! If he had been allowed to get away with taking off the wristband, everyone would be doing it and before long some of them would be mingling with the wider community.
The first question Mr Michael needed to be asked was did he previously have knowledge of the widely reported Skylar Mack case, if so case closed and dbl the sentence.
He intentionally removed the wristbands, so he had knowledge he was breaking the rules he agreed to.
The Skylar Mack case is irrelevant in my opinion. He deserves this punishment regardless.
The proof will be in the sentencing of the local breachers. I wouldn’t hold your breath.
4.55pm I agree, don’t hold your breath. No sympathy for foreigners, but when you have thousands of locals subjected to quarantine and not one of them has so far been in court for breach, let alone jailed, is there really a level playing filed in the Caqayman Islands?.
Maybe because majority of the locals followed the rules have you ever thought about that how do you think we got to be relatively COVID free by following the rules we’re just local monkeys right you come here with money and expect to be treated like kings and queens and yeah caymanians get different treatment in certain circumstances you want to know why this is our country and I make no apologies saying it
Ramjeet is a Caymanian.
He broke the law. He got caught. He now has to pay the price. Doesn’t matter who you are or how self-entitled you feel. Actions have consequences.
Actions only have consequences if your not Caymanian. If your Caymanian then you can escape government isolationand nothing happens.
Change the law – get rid of the draconian rules for vaccinated persons
Draconian?! Really. The risk to the community outweighs your sentiment.
The rules were simple, he did not follow them. Now he in jail… I’m not sure what there is not to understand.
Free this man today!!!
I hope Cayman will get the “best” advertisement it deserves after this poor man is released.
Cruelty seem to be the trademark of Cayman. Based on comments Caymanians feel a huge degree of schadenfreude. Unspeakable! Shame in you.
Och…..haud yer wheesht! And yes, you will need to Goggle that.
As a Canadian and Caymanian Citizen I am glad the court has ruled to impose jail time. Rules are there for a reason. This guy has embarrassed himself and his country. If other Canadians show this little respect for other countries laws then perhaps they should stay home in their country.
Correct points but your wording suggests you are not actually Canadian. Right idea though…
Both Cayman and Canada recognize dual citizenship as far as I’m aware.
I know that’s probably not what you mean, but I prefer to respond with facts.
Many Canadians do not respect their laws at their home either. Look at their ridiculous “2-week” lockdowns that have gone on for over a year because some people can’t follow basic rules.
That’s just one of many reasons why I’m much happier to call Cayman my home now!
Works for me!
Oooopsie Not as special as we thought, eh? If we could have caught Armie with his quarantine guest, we would have relished that conviction as well.
Wonder what part of the instructions regarding the bracelet do you think he didn’t understand? How difficult would it have been to merely not submerge the bracelet for longer than a few minutes at a time..
Wait wait wait. So any visitor can come in to the island and get a covid shot? I thought it was residents first?
Oh, I forgot he’s got a few dollars so everything’s good.
Ha, no one wants the shot so we are about to throw them in the garbage. What a disgrace. Better to give them to anyone who wants one.
Does that matter? We have a supply that are about to expire.
Actually open to everyone. Especially since locals do not want it. Why should they not give to anyone willing to take it.
Choose being kind over being right. Just because you can does not mean you should.
I’ll never ever visit Cayman again. Cayman should be ashamed of itself.
Is that a promise?
Fine by me – if you think your right to risk the community outweighs our right to protect ourselves, we are happy to suggest another destination for you. India perhaps?!!!
Risking the community by swimming in the pool that no one else was in. Please….know that the some locals doing house quarantine also broke the rules, but just didn’t get caught. You all know that, too. It’s been in the blogs/social media.
Ah yes, because as long as you don’t see somebody, you can’t catch a disease from them.
I don’t want to specify which illness, but in Canada I got incredibly sick thanks to a prick with this attitude. Some selfish parent brought their contagious child to a community centre, and the space was not sanitized before I came in the next day. I didn’t die (spoiler), but I still have scars and possible future health complications due to it (thankfully not likely).
Negative for COVID and vaccinated, there was no risk.
Yes. But it’s the forking rules mate. It’s not that big of deal. But yes, we should not have to quarantine if we have our vaccines and test negative. That part is absolutely BS.
Well you are not really vaccinated buntings 2 weeks after the second shot, and can carry and transmit the virus when vaccinated so yeah a very low risk but a risk none the less.
It’s not about being kind or being right. It’s about the safety of the residents of this island, we have worked so hard to get to where we are, to be one of the safest places in the world. People who come here know in advance what the quarantine rules are and they still choose to come, which means they agree to abide by the rules. It’s very simple, if you don’t agree with the quarantine rules and you have no intention of complying with them stay home until we reopen.
I don’t think Cayman is one of the best places in the world right now.
I think it’s *the* best place in the world. I say this as one of “those” rich foreigners who can afford to live anywhere in the world, but chose here because how you all came together as a community to pull through these times.
You folks have worked extremely hard to keep it like that, and nobody should take that away.
3:38 Good riddance! We don’t want people to visit here if they cant follow our rules. Notice how we have no community spread!? That’s because we locked down and followed covid procedure. Sucked at the time but life here is almost back to normal unlike the rest of the world. If you are so entitled that you cant follow our laws we don’t want the likes of you. Plain and simple.
Life where I live is almost back to normal also and we are not locked down. Masks are not worn outside and will not be mandated after next week inside. Everything is open. We can travel.
Those stuck on Cayman simply cannot comprehend this truth. They’ve quickly forgotten the young man who died in a car accident going to assist his friend who erroneously thought she had Covid. This death was caused by the Fear Of Covid and not Covid itself.
Good, then you will be happy to stay there and let us live our happy lives without you.
What about our own teenager, Civil Servant’s Son, who broke it twice, should he be jailed, and the will that happen, people are watching/waititng
Back to normal????? Really??
Yes, really. Actually more back to normal then there. Here I can travel unlike there. I do not have to wear a mask except the same places that you wear a mask ( airport, nursing home or prisons). Restaurants, gyms, schools, stores, clubs are all open. I’ve been working full time in person since July. I’d say that is pretty much back to normal.
Same where I am. All the freedoms of Cayman plus the right to travel.
Good then stay there mate.
Please don’t come back. The Island will be a better place with your absence.
You need a ride airport ?
Good. We don’t want to be a playground for those who think they’re above the law.
Don’t let the door hit you…
I only clicked “like” cause I am happy you won’t be back….
Winning a battle, losing a war! Heartless bunch of hypocritical barbarians lives in Cayman.
That would be a heartless bunch of free-roaming COVID-free barbarians, if you will, please…. Jealousy does not look good on you….
How are we heartless? We worked hard to be safe from covid. This guy is heartless because his actions endangered the health and well being of our local population? Just so that he could go swim in a pool!!!
He had no covid and he is vaccinated. He was swimming in a pool where no one else was there. No risk to the community. Give it a rest.
And you all worked so hard to be covid free. You think you were the only ones locked down? The whole world was locked down. The reason Cayman came out of it better than others is you sent expats off island, you have fresh, open air, no transportation system that millions are jamming themselves on every day to head to and from work. If we all lived on an island, we would have all done much better on the covid war. Covid numbers are dropping dramatically as we got our vaccines and the mask mandates are expired or expiring by the end of the month. WE are open and traveling.
3:30 suck it up buttercup. It’s the law. Don’t like it – don’t visit! It’s not difficult!
Yet we don’t lock our own up for breaches!
Not disagreeing with you on that. They also need to be brought to justice. Alas, I don’t preside over the court of law…
White privilege screaming at us again? I’m sure he doesn’t look like the type of person who should face a custodial sentence eh?
Meantime in FL….
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday evening that he would move to pardon anyone in the state who flouted mask or social distancing mandates—something that should be welcome news to anyone who supports criminal justice reform.
Cayman is nuts! Officially! 🤬🤯
So stay in Florida. You won’t be missed.
Completely different situation. He knew the rules, broke them, must pay a price. A month seems excessive however.
Try to be consistent.
Meantime in Florida rarely precedes an intelligent statement. This is no exception.
A couple of metropolitan areas aside, Florida is a poster child for ignorance.
Florida!, Ain’t that where the Florida man comes from?
Just asking for a friend.
Florida DeSantis is a big wanna be idio
Good material for his best screenplay.
Cayman is still operating on two now known falsehoods. One, that original models, 2 million would die in California alone would perish. Two, that covid19 is on surfaces. The number one reason people are not getting vaccinated in Cayman is that there are no benefits for taking the vaccine – as clearly shown in this case. Still ruling with fear and by fear.
Should have given him the two years provided for in law. He breached quarantine, lied about it, and was ballsy enough to appeal!
Donald, I thought they took your social media access away. Put down the phone, that’s an adult toy….
The least you could have done is counter with some facts. But I guess it doesn’t suit the cause.
Cayman will never get it right will it? I would not wish Cayman Islands on my worst enemy. Self-defeating to the core. Free this man!!!
Troll much?
Da wa u get
This ruling is lacking compassion, considering that there was no danger to the public he should be fined not imprisoned.
This will only punish his wife and children and leave the film industry with a poor taste in their mouths, just at the time that we need them to help young aspiring Caymanian film makers.
Personally I have a poor taste in my mouth for the film industry flouting our laws and the lack of consideration that goes with it
Agree 110%!!
Now that he’s been to prison maybe he can do a movie about it, seems like a good idea when 50cent did it,#thuglifematters.
he should have thought of that before he broke the law then.
Poor old Mr Michael, you broke the law, deal with it