What had been every week of enjoyable within the solar for a Burlington, Ont., couple this winter has became “a residing nightmare.”
Jane Wilcox mentioned she and David Bennett, in addition to one other couple, had been about to board a flight in the Dominican Republic to move again dwelling from their trip when Bennett was pulled from a security-check line at Punta Cana Worldwide Airport and despatched into an interrogation room.
After a lot pleading, Wilcox mentioned, she was allowed into the interrogation room, the place officers confirmed them an image on a telephone of a bag with a tag bearing the title “Davi — D-A-V-I — Bennett … it had the PUJ airport code on it, so it got here into the Punta Cana airport.”
Wilcox informed CBC Hamilton they later came upon the intense yellow bag they had been proven on the telephone was “full of medicine.”
I gave him my two bucks and a charger for his telephone, and gave him a giant kiss.– Jane Wilcox
Whereas the language barrier made it troublesome to speak with the officers, Wilcox mentioned, the couple tried to elucidate that every thing in Bennett’s itinerary — his baggage, his passport, his boarding move — all had “David R. Bennett. [We’ve] by no means seen that bag earlier than.”
“By means of Google Translate, they [the officers] mentioned due to the similarities of the names, ‘we have to detain him for additional investigation,'” Wilcox mentioned.
“So then, I simply went and sat on him,” she added. “I simply sat on his lap and it was form of like, ‘I can not go.’ By then, the opposite couple was texting to say they had been boarding the flight.”
‘You must get me out of this mess’
Wilcox and Bennett each work on the identical public relations firm. She mentioned regardless of him being detained, he urged her to move again to Canada.
“Dave mentioned, ‘You must go. You must go dwelling and it’s important to work for me from there. You must get me out of this mess.
“I had like $2 US left. We simply had introduced them for tipping and such, so I gave him my two bucks and a charger for his telephone, and gave him a giant kiss,” she added.
Wilcox mentioned she subsequent heard from Bennett after she landed at Toronto’s Pearson Worldwide Airport.
“He despatched an image of his personal bag, the OGIO bag along with his YYZ tag on it that confirmed David R. Bennett. He mentioned, ‘We may have this'” as proof to again his innocence.
On March 8, Bennett known as Wilcox round 12:30 p.m. ET.
“He mentioned, ‘I have been arrested for importing unlawful medication and I am in jail, and final evening was essentially the most horrific evening of my life. However I am OK and I would like your assist. I would like you to get on this immediately. You bought to attach with our RCMP pals, you bought to attach with [Burlington MP] Karina Gould’s workplace, you bought to get a lawyer — we acquired to maneuver into motion.’ So that is precisely what I did,” Wilcox mentioned.
Bennett was held in jail for 3 nights after which taken to court docket on March 10. Wilcox mentioned he was granted bail for $5,000 and he is now staying at an Airbnb rental.
Bennett’s subsequent court docket look might be “a preliminary trial,” however no date has been set, Wilcox mentioned. Within the meantime, he is not allowed to go away the Dominican Republic, she mentioned.
Wilcox mentioned they now have authorized illustration in Canada in addition to within the Dominican Republic, and the attorneys are working with authorities within the Caribbean nation as they combat the costs.
‘Dave is simply 100% harmless,’ spouse says
In accordance with Wilcox, Bennett is a “sturdy group member” and has by no means been concerned in medication.
“Dave is simply 100 per cent harmless. It is simply not possible to even ponder that this might occur.”
Bennett was born in Montreal and moved to Oakville, Ont., as a teen. He is been residing in Burlington for 25 years and has been enjoying within the Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Membership for over 10 years.
“He is a stepfather to my two fantastic boys, Ben and Nick … and Dave’s volunteered at Tandaga Golf Membership up to now, and he helps out over at Hidden Lake [Gulf Club] as a result of he loves golf a lot,” Wilcox mentioned.
“He is like essentially the most standup, risk-adverse man you possibly can ever meet. The truth that he is being held on these bogus costs is simply so towards his character.
“So, till he is again dwelling, we’re nonetheless in a residing nightmare. It’s a residing nightmare — it is form of how I describe it on a regular basis,” Wilcox added.
Since March 8, the household has linked with International Affairs Canada, which gave them a case quantity, she mentioned. Contact was additionally made with Gould, who represents the couple’s federal using, Wilcox mentioned.
Consular officers in contact with authorities: International Affairs
CBC Hamilton emailed International Affairs Canada to ask if it was conscious of Bennett being held in the Dominican Republic. The federal division responded, with out naming Bennett particularly, that it’s conscious of the arrest of a Canadian citizen within the Dominican Republic.
“Consular officers are in touch with native authorities and are offering consular help. On account of privateness concerns, no additional info may be disclosed,” a spokesperson wrote in an e mail to CBC Hamilton.
In the meantime, Wilcox mentioned, Gould’s workplace has been very receptive.
“They escalated it immediately to Overseas Affairs and Mélanie Jolie’s workplace.”
By publication time, CBC Information had not heard again after reaching out to Jolie’s workplace. Amid the present federal election marketing campaign, which culminates April 28, she maintains her work as international affairs minister.
Moreover, Wilcox mentioned, the household’s authorized group “has been in contact with WestJet and with YYZ [Pearson airport] to make sure that we’re getting all of the proof that we have to simply mainly show that David’s by no means been near a yellow bag in any of the travels that we took.”
Wilcox has been in public relations and disaster communications for 30 years, however mentioned “that is the most important disaster I’ve labored on in my total life.”
“Little did I do know I might be having to make use of my expertise for my circle of relatives, however right here we’re.”
Wilcox mentioned she’s been centered on a three-phase method in coping with the arrest.
“Section 1 was to get Dave out of jail, which we did on Monday, March the tenth,” she mentioned about him reaching bail. “We’re in Section 2 proper now. Section 2 is getting Dave dwelling and it is proving to be a really lengthy part, however that is precisely what we’re centered on proper now — getting David dwelling.
“After that, there will be Section 3, and that is as soon as David is dwelling. What occurs after that? … we’re not likely fascinated by that a lot as a result of we’re so centered on getting him dwelling.”
Wilcox mentioned the household has organized a fundraiser for this Friday, and has arrange a GiveSendGo account to assist “soak up prices for our authorized charges and all the remainder of the bills.”
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