Last night we told you about Allaire Edi McDougal, the 46 year old woman, claiming to be a retired nurse, who was remanded to prison for an unpaid 48 dollar tab at Spoonaz Reggae cafe. She was charged for obtaining services by deception, but then couldn't meet bail.
Well, tonight she's a free woman after the management of Spoonaz dropped the charges.
But how we got there is a story having a whole lot to do with social media outrage. Last night after the story was aired, social media erupted with a vigorous debate over whether it was fair to remand her for just a 48 dollar unpaid tab.
Many quickly offered to pay her bail, while others went to court to pay her bail.
Well, it wasn't necessary. In court this afternoon, the virtual complainant requested no further court action and the charge was withdrawn by the police for want of Prosecution.
Attorney Norman Rodriguez who has been observing the case in court - explained how the withdrawal process works:
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney
"Well if they are withdrawing they need to give a further statement in relation to the statement that they gave that they wanted action in the beginning and they give a statement saying they do not want to continue with any action against her and that would be brought before the magistrate it will be withdrawn and an order will be made for the release of the lady if the magistrate exercises her discretion and the senior magistrate sorry, accepts the withdrawal which will happen."
Outside the courthouse, Albert Magdaleno of Ladyville Highlights met McDougall. That's after McDougall's family reached out to him.
He learned from them that her real name is Allaire Edi McDougal, a mental patient who has allegedly been abandoned by relatives in Belize.
When McDougall was living in the USA at the age of 33, she was accused of trying to drown her 8-year-old son in a community pool in 2012. McDougall had pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder and one count of child cruelty against her 8 year-old son.
Magdaleno told us today he will be reuniting McDougall with her family back in the USA.
Just a short while ago we spoke to her brother in the US via phone - he discussed her condition and the difficulties the family has been having:.
Reporter
"What your reaction was when you saw the story that your sister had gone to this restaurant and was arrested because she couldn't pay the bill?"
Voice of: Albert Magdaleno, Brother of Allaire
"Well, first of all, I think the public and John Public and people are ranting about the wrong thing because the thing is the establishment was doing the right thing. You cannot go into a establishment without expecting to pay."
"Allaire have a history of mental disorder and she refused to accept the fact that she have a mental issue. She was living at my house in Cayo for almost free. I used to come and the things she has done I can't take it no more at my own house and that's when I realized that she needs to find some place of her own."
"She then decided to go from my house and went and rent a house in the Mountain Pine Ridge road. She was paying a thousand dollars a month. She was doing really good and then the thing is the mental state start kicking in and kicking in."
"Allaire got put out of the house in the Mountain Pne Ridge road. She went. and rent a fix in Belmopan and decide she's going to burn on the apartment in Belmopan, and they put her out. Allaire ended up in Punta Gorda."
"She went and checked herself into a hotel in Punta Gorda, tried to burn down it. She have a problem with fire. She have a problem knowing and accepting the fact that she needs help because she is mentally challenged."
"And a mental person will never understand he or she needs help because they always feel like they're okay."
Reporter
"And this is something that she had been dealing with since she was in the US?"
Albert Magdaleno, Brother of Allaire
"She had a prior problem in the US. She was in a mental institution in the US and she was released from the mental institution and went home to her mom and her dad house in California. She got to the house. Everybody has house rules. Allaire refused to abide by her mom and her dad house rules. She got into an altercation with her mom, they call the police, the police intervene, and explain to Allaire, you cannot elderly people."
"Allaire decides she's going to buy a one way ticket to Belize. She was born in Belize. Allaire have never worked in the country. Allaire don't know nothing about Belize. Allaire came to the States probably at the age of two."
"She had never worked. She was never a nurse. She was a respiratory therapy at a hospital in California."
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