By Tahna Weston
The 26-year-old Jamaican national who escaped from the Immigration Detention Centre at Coolidge last Friday afternoon was convicted and fined when he appeared before the District B magistrate yesterday.
Akido McDonald pleaded guilty to escaping the lawful custody of the Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department.
As a result, Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel imposed a $1,500 fine, which McDonald has 48 hours to pay.
Because he was not lawfully landed, he will be returned to his native Jamaica once the fine has been paid. The court was informed that the next flight out of Antigua to Jamaica will be on Thursday, January 30.
Therefore, McDonald has been remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until that time.
He arrived in Antigua from Kingston onboard a Caribbean Airlines flight on January 23 and immigration officers scrutinized his travel document and denied him entry into the country.
The court heard that he, along with a number of other people, was transported to the Immigration Detention Centre at Coolidge in order to await travel arrangements to return him to his country of birth.
However, at about 3:20pm on Friday, McDonald scaled the southern iron gate of the compound with his knapsack on his back and made good his escape.
Immigration officers, who later became aware of his escape, mounted an investigation into the matter, including an extensive search of the surrounding areas.
Based on an intelligence-driven joint operation between police and immigration officers, the Jamaican man was apprehended in Swetes about 11:30 am on Saturday, January 25. He was hiding on the verandah of a house.
McDonald was taken into custody, arrested and charged later that day.