Love Island Zara sighs with relief as she dodges jail for bid to escape quarantine
A DISGRACED Miss Great Britain escaped a prison sentence in Barbados yesterday for breaking the island’s coronavirus laws.
Zara Holland, 25, who was stripped of her beauty crown after romping on the ITV reality show Love Island in 2016, had tried to flee the Caribbean island despite being ordered to quarantine in her hotel.
Her boyfriend Elliott Love tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Barbados for what they planned as a relaxing New Year’s break.
But after they were told to quarantine, the pair cut off the red wristbands given to them to show their ‘infected’ status, bought plane tickets home and sped to the airport. Police detained them by the runway before they could take off.
The maximum penalty for breaking the island’s virus laws is a year in prison or an £18,000 fine.
Holland sighed with relief when she was given a fine of just under £4,500 after appearing at District D Magistrates’ Court on a hillside outside the Barbados capital Bridgetown yesterday.
Wearing a black dress and blue face mask, she was accompanied by one of the island’s top barristers, Andrew Pilgrim QC, and spoke only to say ‘Guilty’ when charged with a single count of breaking coronavirus laws.
Magistrate Ian Weekes castigated the model-cum-reality star as he fined her £4,417, warning that if it was not paid in full within the week she would be jailed for nine months.
After detailing her defiance of the rule designed to stop the virus sweeping the island, amid mounting concern over rising case numbers, Mr Weekes said: ‘We cannot tolerate that you breached the quarantine protocol. You had been told to stay at your hotel and you should have done that.’
He added: ‘You can’t operate on the belief you are in charge and you can do as you like.’
Mr Pilgrim told the court in mitigation that his client was nervous after her boyfriend’s positive result, leading to a ‘lapse in judgment’ and a ‘foolish’ error.
She had obtained two negative Covid tests before flying from England, he added.
Speaking after the hearing, he said his client ‘wants to express her sincere apologies to the entire nation of Barbados’.
Holland, from North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, is believed to have returned last night to continue
‘We cannot tolerate that’
quarantining in a £350-a-night beachfront Hilton hotel. She had been seen sunbathing on her balcony in recent days as she awaited her court hearing.
Love yesterday remained at the Barbados government’s Paragon Isolation Centre, where he was taken after being detained.
It is unclear whether Holland will await the 30-year-old’s release. As he knew he had the virus, he could receive a more severe sentence when able to attend court.
The couple had arrived in Barbados on Sunday December 27 and Love’s positive test result came three days later.