BARBADOS — The court does not show “favour” in its consideration of those brought before it on COVID-19 breaches, says the island’s Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes. Rather, guilty persons are subjected to a “means assessment” to find out whether they can pay a fine, he said, as he ordered former British reality television star Zara Holland to pay $12,000 for violating the island’s COVID-19 protocols, Barbados Today reported on Thursday, January 7.
The money was to be paid in seven days, with the alternative of seven days in prison. The fine was paid later in the day.
Weekes had also warned that the court would, “through the auspices of INTERPOL”, issue a warrant for Holland’s arrest if the money was not paid within the stipulated time before releasing her on $20,000 bail in the meantime.
Holland left the island around 6 p.m. for the U.K.
Weekes handed down judgment this morning after the visitor pleaded guilty to contravening Paragraph (14) of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) Curfew (NO 4) Directive, being a person in quarantine at the Sugar Bay Hotel, she did leave the premises without reasonable explanation.
The magistrate, who has island-wide jurisdiction and is the only judicial officer to hear COVID-19 matters, said: “I need to make it very clear . . . I am not here to satisfy any members of the public. Whatever decision I give may sometimes help to deter certain types of behaviour by members of the public, but this court, having dealt with all of these matters, would have done a means assessment of all the persons who would have appeared before me and, contrary to public opinion, this court has not just jailed anyone…” See full Barbados Today article at https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/01/07/actress-pays-12000-in-fines-leaves-island/
