“Love Island” star and former Miss Britain Zara Holland was fined about $ 6,000 – but spared the prison sentence – for trying to leave Barbados with her boyfriend after he tested positive for the coronavirus, according to with reports.
Holland, 25, pleaded guilty to violating a COVID-19 guideline by leaving the luxurious Sugar Bay Barbados resort, where he was awaiting the results of his test, The Sun reported.
She and her boyfriend, Elliott Love, were caught when they tried to board a plane to the UK to avoid being taken to a quarantine facility.
Holland and Love were tested when they arrived on the island on December 27 and were ordered to isolate themselves in their hotel room to await the results. When the result was positive, they received red bracelets and said they would be taken to a quarantine center.
Holland, who faced up to a year in prison, was warned by magistrate Ian Weekes that she would be sentenced to nine months in prison if she did not pay the fine in a week, the Daily Mail reported.
After the hearing, his lawyer, Andrew Pilgrim, blamed his “lapse” in judging a “foolish mistake”, according to the media.
He said she received two negative test results before arriving on the island, but that after Love’s test was positive, she was very nervous when they were told to quarantine her at the hotel.
This led to the “foolish” decision of the lovebirds to try to leave, he explained, adding that the Netherlands had the greatest respect for the people of Barbados and had visited the Caribbean refuge twice a year for the past six years.
The magistrate countered: “You cannot operate based on the belief that you are in charge and you can do what you want.
“Even if you receive negative test results, it is vital that you understand that you need authorization,” added Weekes.
Pilgrim submitted a financial statement to the court proving that his client was able to pay the fine, but said he could not pay it immediately, as a bank transfer in the UK had not yet been released in Barbados, according to the Daily Mail.
Holland – who breathed a sigh of relief at not being arrested – has been released on bail set at £ 7,355, about $ 10,000, and will be free to leave the island once her fine is paid.
“We accept the court’s decision. Miss Holland wishes to express her sincere apologies to the entire nation of Barbados. At this point, we have no further comment, ”said his lawyer outside the courtroom.
Many people reacted to the Netherlands penalty like a slap on the wrist and compared their sentence to a Jamaican tourist jailed for six months for breaking the island’s rules to “buy Fanta” and snacks a month ago, reported The Sun.