Six Months Prison time for Haitian Father of four; Illegal Entry

By Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

#TurksandCaicos, June 29, 2023 – Haitian citizen, DUROGENE PABLO, 35 pleaded guilty to unlawful entry on Tuesday 20th June, 2023.

He told the presiding Hon. Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin that he saw a boat coming to Turks and Caicos Islands and he asked for a ride and they allowed him on. He said, he didn’t pay.

Pablo said ‘I did not have money to come legally so that’s why I come illegally,’ he added, ‘I have four young children ages 14, 10, 6 and 3.’

He went on to tell the Chief Magistrate how he was sick for the past three days with fever and pains to his waist.  He asked to sit down as his waist was hurting during the court proceeding; the magistrate granted him permission to sit.

Crown public prosecutor when reading the brief facts to the court, said, he was intercepted on a boat at North West Point area around 2:30am on  June 6, 2023, by officers of the TCI Marine branch.

A total of 169 people were on board, comprising of 129 males, 38 females and two minor boys.

The Chief Magistrate after explaining the laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands to him and outlining the seriousness of the offense, sentenced him to six months imprisonment at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.