Skylar Mack and Vanjae Ramgeet – the couple jailed for their respective roles in a quarantine breach case – will be released from prison next week, according to the Governor’s Office.
Attorney Jonathon Hughes, who represented both Mack and Ramgeet, originally told the Cayman Compass he expected they would be eligible for release around 20 Jan., which would have been 60% of their time served, the minimum as required by law.
The Governor’s Office confirmed in a statement Thursday morning, however, that Mack and Ramgeet will be released on 15 Jan. Mack is set to leave Cayman that same day, according to the release.
“At that time both will have completed their sentence in accordance with Cayman Law. Neither have received any special dispensation,” the Governor’s Office said.
The Cayman Islands Prison Service confirmed that applications for pre-discharge leave were received on behalf of Mack and Ramgeet. Those applications were both approved.
Section 30 (2) of the Prisons Law details pre-discharge leave and states: “A convicted prisoner shall, at the discretion of the Director, be eligible during the thirty days prior to the date of that prisoner’s anticipated discharge for up to five days pre-discharge leave to be taken on such conditions as the Director may think necessary.”
Mack and Ramgeet’s respective applications were approved subject to compliance with specific licence conditions, according to the Governor’s Office. The Compass has enquired about the details of the conditions.
Mack and Ramgeet will have served 31 days in prison once released.
Mack, 18, is a visitor from the United States who was in a relationship with Ramgeet, 24, who is from the Cayman Islands.
Mack last year was arrested and convicted for breaching quarantine in order to attend a jet-ski event where Ramgeet was participating. Police say she intentionally removed a required geo-tracking device and lied to officers about the length of time she’d been on island when first questioned by officers.
Ramgeet was arrested and convicted of aiding and abetting Mack.
The couple was originally ordered to pay for their stay at a government quarantine facility and perform community service, but that sentence was appealed by public prosecutors and a Grand Court judge subsequently sentenced both to four months in jail.
That sentence was then appealed and the appeal court cut it to two months. The case has garnered significant attention from international media outlets.
Five cases of quarantine breaches remain under investigation by police.
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So sad that Cayman Islands caved to the pressure for early release!! Mack knew that she was doing wrong when she removed the monitor, she should have been held responsible for potentially threatening others lives. Very disappointed in Caymans government officials, they used to hold people responsible for breaking laws…what’s happening to the Island???