Leave Island: Zara fined for trying to flee from Barbados
LOVE ISLAND STAR TRIED TO FLY OUT OF BARBADOS
ZARA Holland has avoided prison time in Barbados after trying to flee the country with boyfriend Elliot Love who had tested positive for Covid-19.
The Love Island star, 25, received a £4,417 fine ($12,000 Barbados dollars) despite the fact a different tourist from Jamaica was jailed for six months last week for a less serious offence.
Zara was pictured leaving the £350 a night Hilton Hotel dressed in a blue face mask and a smart black dress.
She had been staying at the hotel to make the short drive to court accompanied by her lawyer.
The reality star’s appearance at District A Magistrates’ Court in St Thomas comes days after the former beauty queen was arrested at the airport.
She was accompanied by boyfriend Elliot Love, who had tested positive for Covid as they tried to escape quarantine and make it home to the UK.
Zara and Elliot had been given red wristbands and told to remain in their room at the £300 a night Sugar Bay Hotel until they could be taken to an isolation centre in the north of the popular resort.
It came after the Barbados government brought in tough measures to try and suppress the spread of coronavirus by holidaymakers.
The two travellers decided to ignore rules and advice and cut off their bands and booked a British Airway flight back to the UK where the pair were later arrested and taken to a military unit.
While Zara was in court in Bridgetown yesterday, Elliot remained in quarantine at the Paragon Isolation Centre.
Presiding chief magistrate Ian Weekes, who is known for his tough stance against Covid rule breakers, jailed a tourist just last week for six months for breaching quarantine regulations.
Dean George Scott, 49, who was jailed for his breaking of the rules, admitted leaving quarantine to “buy Fanta” and other snacks after arriving on the holiday island at the beginning of December, when he appeared in court. He was jailed for six months.
Magistrate Ian Weekes said the sentence served warning” to others.
He said: “I’ve got to send a message to you and to all the other people that this cannot be tolerated. We have made too much gain, so you have to do six months. Walking out of quarantine, no man, this cannot be allowed.”
After her arrest made headlines, Zara issued an apology to Barbados Today for her actions saying: “I wish to apologise to the entire country of Barbados for what has been a massive mix up and misunderstanding.”
She added: “I am currently working closely with the local authorities to rectify any issues on my part and will issue an update and full statement which I think is the only right thing to do to the Government and citizens of Barbados.
“I have been a guest of this lovely island in excess of 20 years and would never do anything to jeopardise an entire nation that I have nothing but loved and respect for and which has treated me as a family.” as a
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I have been a guest of this lovely island in excess of 20 years and would never do anything to jeopardise an entire nation that I have nothing but love and respect for Zara Holland