‘Reckless act’ draws $6,000 fine

A day after the Barbados Government reassured the public of its confidence in the country’s COVID-19 monitoring mechanism, a man appeared in a Bridgetown Court after he jumped the balcony of the hotel where he was quarantining.

This incident follows reports of a protocol breach by a visitor which led to a possible “cluster” and circulating videos of persons socializing, in large gatherings, without masks.

Today Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes strongly condemned the actions of  Tyrique Anderson Akeem Thornhill who admitted breaching the rules of hotel quarantine. Thornhill told the No.1 District “A” Magistrates’ court that he was locked out of his room and jumped from the balcony out of an “element of fear”.

Although he had his hotel key card in his pocket he decided to take a taxi from Blue Horizon Hotel in Christ Church to Lonestar Restaurant in St James. He then made his way back to another hotel the following day.

“I have to send a message to the public and to those who have come to the country, that they can’t just break quarantine and expose us…[and] take the kind of risk to destroy all the gains that we have made. What you did was a total and completely reckless act,” Weekes warned.

Thornhill, who lives at, No. 71 Edgehill Terrace, St Thomas, appeared today charged with “breaking a COVID-19 directive in the interest of public health” by leaving the hotel without a reasonable explanation.

Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes imposed a $6000 fine on him which has to be paid in six months. Failure to pay the fine will result in a nine-month jail sentence.

Thornhill arrived in Barbados on December 9 and tested negative for COVID-19 at the Grantley Adams International Airport. According to the facts, he was issued with a form which he signed agreeing to remain in quarantine at the Blue Horizon Hotel for four days. On arrival at the hotel, it was said to be full and arrangements were made for him to stay at the Hilton Hotel.

He was transported to the Hilton and stayed there until December 11 and then returned to Blue Horizon Hotel.

That night, a guest alerted security that someone was on her patio which was next to Thornhill’s room. When security checked his room it was locked from the inside. They discovered that he jumped from the balcony and his luggage was discovered in the patio of the room next to him.

The following day, Thornhill went back to the Hilton Hotel where he was held and taken to the testing unit at Barbados Defence Force Base at Paragon. He was discharged on December 15 and police charged him.

Thornhill apologized to the court but said there were “a lot of questionable things” that were happening which he found “troubling”.

Thornhill told the court that he along with eight others were assigned to a taxi after his arrival and testing at the airport. However, he claimed he was not comfortable with the transportation arrangements.

“I said…I’m not comfortable with this process because you’re supposed to have social distancing and they told me it is not possible to have a personal taxi. I said but there have been reports of people…,in travelling by taxi services, contracting coronavirus in the second test,” he explained.

He further complained that there was no “six feet apart neither in the west, north or south” while in the taxi.

Weekes also said a number of factors would have been taken into consideration prior to a decision on transportation.

In his lengthy explanation to the court, Thornhill said that he even offered to pay for a personal taxi but was not allowed to. Having been accepted to study in Canada, he said he didn’t want to risk an eventual positive test which would’ve compromised his return to Canada.

Finally explaining the events on the night of the incident, Thornhill recalled going to the balcony to hang out clothes. He said he opened the door, which is not self closing, and started to admire the view of the hotel.

He said when he turned to go back inside, the door was closed and locked.

“Out of fear I grabbed my backpack and jumped off the balcony. I said I don’t know what’s happening here, I hit the street and caught a taxi,” he recalled, revealing that his haversack was already on his back.

“You normally walk around with a haversack?” the magistrate asked to which Thornhill replied yes.

The magistrate also asked why he did not simply go to the reception and let them know he was locked out. Thornhill sought to explain that there was “an element of fear” because the door was not a self closing one and somehow ended up closed.

“My front door is locked, now my second floor is also locked, so I jumped down to the bottom; as I said I’m thinking about my life,” he said.

Although he had his key card, Thornhill said he felt someone locked him out and his concern was for his safety. He said he caught a taxi and “fled to safety” and contacted his mother?

“You went from Christ Church to St James? What route did the taxi take?” the magistrate asked. Thornhill said it went straight down the coast.

“So he passed the new police station?” the magistrate asked. Weekes suggested that fear should have led him to go to a police station along the route.

The magistrate made it clear that he did not believe anything Thornhill said but instead stated that a strong message needed to be sent to persons who attempted to act in the same manner. (TS)