MONTEGO BAY, St James — An American tourist has been fined after causing significant disruption and disorder at Sangster International Airport as she prepared to leave the country on Tuesday, January 23.

The woman, who is said to be a dentist, was taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital after she shed her clothes and fought back as police officers and airport employees tried to subdue her.

The accused woman, who was represented by attorney-at-law Mark Williams, appeared in the St James Parish Court for the first time on Monday. She was dressed in a black jacket, white blouse, and black pants, and appeared calm. She could also be heard conversing intelligently with her attorney and a relative during breaks in the proceedings. Her lawyer asked that she not be identified by name to save the family any further embarrassment.

On Monday, Williams informed the court that his client’s family struggles with mental health issues.

“She, herself, has always been a high-functioning person, and one who has functioned at the highest level in her profession. But it appears as if she had a psychotic episode that morning,” the attorney said.

He also told the court that his client is on anxiety medication.

Presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce’s primary concern was determining whether the accused was capable of entering a plea. She did not want to proceed if the woman had a mental illness or was not mentally competent to enter a plea.

However, Williams informed the court that, according to his instructions, his client was deemed fit to plead, but no psychiatric evaluation report was on file.

“If she wasn’t taken to the hospital for injuries or mental issues, why wasn’t she taken to the lock-up and dealt with in a particular way in relation to the offences that were laid before her? Why was she kept at the hospital?” Judge Grant-Pryce asked.

In response, the attorney informed the court that the police officer had stated that, based on his observations, he believed the hospital was the best place to take the woman.

The accused woman was subsequently given an opportunity to plead, and she pleaded guilty to indecent exposure, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

She was fined $50,000 or 20 days in jail for resisting arrest, $1,000 or five days in jail for indecent exposure, and $1,000 or five days in jail for disorderly conduct.

According to the police report, on January 23 at about 11:00 am, the defendant was seen and heard behaving boisterously in the departure terminal. She also stripped naked and got into a physical confrontation with a police officer.

A video that has been circulating on various social media platforms showcases the woman’s behaviour at the airport in a concise three-minute clip. The footage reveals her shedding her clothes and behaving in a disruptive manner. In addition, the video depicts her engaging in a physical altercation with one of the law enforcement officials, who was trying to restore order, but she was unrelenting.

After several minutes of intense confrontation, the woman was eventually escorted to Cornwall Regional Hospital where she received medical attention.

Legal charges were subsequently filed against her.