Cayman Islands jails US college student in coronavirus case

A U.S. college student and her boyfriend have been sentenced to four months in prison in Cayman Islands for violating strict COVID-19 measures following a recent ruling that will be appealed, ir attorney said Thursday.

Skylar Mack, 18, of Georgia, and Vanjae Ramgeet, 24, of Cayman Islands, have been in prison since Tuesday, when ruling was issued. y h both pleed guilty, but ir attorney, Jonathon Hughes, said he will argue for a less severe sentence next week.

“y’re two young people who have never been in trouble before,” he said in a phone interview with Associated Press. “This is first time y’ve h interaction with police, courts, prison.”

Mack arrived in Cayman Islands on v. 27 and was supposed to undergo a two-week quarantine as mandated by government, which electronically tracks anyone who arrives in British Caribbean territory. However, she broke quarantine on v. 29 when her boyfriend picked her up to attend a water sports event, Hughes said.

After ir arrest, a judge ruled couple h to provide 40 hours of community service and pay a $4,400 fine. In dition, Ramgeet was ordered to a two-month curfew that would start at 7 p.m. But prosecution appealed, arguing punishment was unduly lenient and would t deter or possible violators. A higher court decided in favor of prosecutors, ruling on Dec. 15 that couple be imprisoned immediately.

Cayman Compass newspaper reported that Judge Roger Chapple said during Tuesday's sentencing that decision to violate safety measures was born of “selfishness and arrogance," ding in its report that Mack spent seven hours out in public without a face mask or social distancing.

“This was entirely deliberate and planned, as evidenced by her desire to switch her wristband day before to a looser one that she was n able to remove,” he was quoted as saying, referring to electronic tracking device.

Hughes said sentence is first of its kind, ding that Mack’s family is concerned: “y’re worried for her because she’s in prison in a foreign country on her own. While this is something she brought on herself, it’s very distressing for her.”

couple have been toger for seven months. Hughes said he doesn't kw how y met. He ted that Ramgeet is a professional jet skier like Mack's far.

couple are first to be sentenced under an amended law targeting COVID-19 violators. original law called for a $2,400 fine and up to six months in prison, while recently amended law calls for a $12,000 fine and up to two years in prison.

Under original law, a Canian couple found guilty of violating coronavirus measures were ordered to pay a $1,200 fine each.

Cayman Islands, a territory of nearly 62,000 people, has reported more than 300 coronavirus cases and two deaths.