For 10 years, Beroy Livingstone Harrison lived in Cayman, earning a reputation as someone who kept out of trouble and worked hard.
Unfortunately for him, his reputation was built on an assumed identity.
In Summary Court on Monday, Harrison pleaded guilty to a series of making false statements. The first charge pertained to his application for permanent residence, in which he stated to the Chief Immigration Officer in June 2007 that he was Wayne Martin Gladstone.
He also pleaded guilty to using the same assumed identity on work permit applications since 1997.
The final charge, which he also admitted, was using an irregular Jamaican passport purporting to ascribe a false identity.
After hearing facts and mitigation, Magistrate Nova Hall imposed a sentence of four months imprisonment.
Crown Counsel Jenesha Bhoorasingh said when Immigration officers apprehended the man known as Wayne Gladstone in January this year, he denied all allegations.
He had been living here since 1997 on a work permit as a gardener. His permit allowed him to continue working while his permanent residence application was considered.
Information from Jamaican authorities indicated he was not Wayne Gladstone but Beroy Livinstone Harrison.
Defence Attorney Lloyd Samson described Harrison as a man of previous good history in Cayman and, he believed, Jamaica as well. ‘Extensive inquiries were carried out… If there were anything [against him] we would have heard about it,’ Mr. Samson said.
He explained that Harrison was first in Cayman in 1995. Due to some confusion, he overstayed. Rather foolishly, instead of going to immigration to explain, he borrowed his brother’s passport and returned to Jamaica.
There he obtained a passport in the name of Wayne Gladstone, returned to Cayman and has been here ever since, living a law-abiding life.
This was a serious case as far as the Immigration Law was concerned, Mr. Samson agreed. But Harrison was not a fugitive, not a criminal. His impetus was economic.
The attorney handed up two letters. One was from an upstanding member of the community who wrote in 2006 of Harrison’s good conduct and work ethic. The other was from Harrison himself, expressing contrition.
Mr. Samson said Harrison, who was in custody, would not be released back into the community. Once released, he will be escorted to a plane and sent off. He asked for as short a sentence as possible so as not to drain government resources.
The magistrate said she did not have any difficulty in believing that economics was the reason for Harrison’s actions.
She pointed out that passports are official documents. When presented in another country, authorities are entitled to rely on them.
She said Harrison was one of those persons who cause Jamaican travellers to come under severe scrutiny just because of the history of this kind of behaviour.
The vast majority of Jamaicans behave legally, but they bear the taint of others’ wrong doing, she told him. ‘Others have found themselves in dire straits and did not resort to illegal means.’
The magistrate imposed a sentence of four months on each charge and made them run concurrently.
Ms Bhoorasingh said Jamaican authorities were interested in the matter and had asked for the passport. She also asked that Harrison be recommended for deportation.
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