David Bennett has finally returned home to Ontario after being stranded in the Dominican Republic for over two months.
Although he is now physically liberated, he is still in the process of emotionally recuperating from what he describes as a terrifying experience.
The 57-year-old was taken into custody on March 7 in Punta Cana after encountering a yellow bag that was unfamiliar to him and his wife, Jane Wilcox. The bag was labeled as “Davi Bennett,” which was different from his legal name, David R. Bennett.
Nevertheless, this similarity was sufficient for him to be flagged by authorities and detained at the airport for questioning.
This incident marked the beginning of a lengthy legal and bureaucratic ordeal for the couple.
“We immediately realized we were being detained for alleged drug importation,” he explained, referring to himself and another couple.
From the moment he was apprehended, Bennett sensed that the situation would not be swiftly resolved.
“I knew right away that I wouldn’t be able to go home that day,” he informed Global News. “I wasn’t prepared to remain there any longer than necessary.”
Bennett described the initial transfer to a holding facility as a frightening experience.
He recounted how he and four others were squeezed into a speeding vehicle without seat belts.
“We were tightly packed and handcuffed, traveling at speeds exceeding 130 kilometers per hour,” he remembered, questioning, “Am I going to survive this?”
During their time at the facility, Bennett mentioned that a translator warned them, ‘You are in serious trouble here… you attempted to smuggle drugs into our country, and that won’t be tolerated.’
After approximately an hour, he stated that they were returned to the airport and left sitting in a stationary vehicle with minimal ventilation for over an hour.
“We started shouting that we couldn’t breathe,” he recalled. Eventually, the officers returned, started the engine, and turned on the air conditioning.
Bennett also noted that they were not provided with proper meals during this period — only receiving two small bags of chips and some water to share among three people. He mentioned that one of the chip bags was too spicy to consume.
Later that evening, Bennett recollected being moved to a jail cell.
“The men’s cell was roughly 14 feet by 20 feet — by morning, there were about 15 of us crammed in there… with an unsanitary open restroom,” he shared. “I couldn’t even sleep. I remained seated upright for eight to nine hours, waiting for some resolution.”
The next day, he briefly met with a lawyer before being returned to the initial facility, where he underwent further questioning and fingerprinting.
That night, he was transferred to another prison where he would spend the next 48 hours.
One of the inmates informed him, ‘You’re in the best cell here. You’re in Iglesia, which means church, as this is the safest cell in the compound. If you were in Inferno next door, you’d be in serious trouble.’
Following a brief court appearance, Bennett discovered that the charges against him would not be dismissed, but his wife was securing his release through bail.
He was unable to depart the Dominican Republic as authorities were conducting an inquiry.
Back in Canada, Wilcox worked tirelessly with a legal team to have the charges against Bennett dropped. She mentioned that they received immense support from friends and the community.
It took five weeks for the charges to be cleared, and an additional five before he was permitted to leave the country.
“I felt like a dark cloud was hanging over me the entire time,” Bennett expressed.
Wilcox attributed the delays to bureaucratic processes and what their lawyer described as insufficient intervention from the Canadian government.
On Friday night, Bennett finally arrived back in Toronto, estimating the entire experience cost them over $80,000.
“I couldn’t sleep properly throughout this ordeal,” Bennett admitted. “I’ve always been a sound sleeper, but sleep turned into a form of imprisonment. Every night, I dreaded going to bed knowing I’d wake up again.”
Wilcox spent countless hours supporting her husband remotely and mentioned the toll it took on them emotionally.
“We spent hours on FaceTime in the last few weeks, just trying to get through it together,” she shared.
Bennett mentioned that his sleep patterns were also affected by the ordeal. “I still feel exhausted every day by mid-afternoon. It was traumatic,” he stated.
What was initially perceived as a misunderstanding quickly escalated into a prolonged and distressing legal standoff. Wilcox believed authorities would promptly realize their error.
“I assumed they would quickly figure out they had the wrong person,” she remarked. “The communication from the government was abysmal. It was a series of misinformation.”
The couple urged Canadian government officials to step in and assist.
“There was a severe lack of coherent communication,” Wilcox criticized. “We asked them to liaise with our local lawyer, as that’s where all the crucial work was happening, where the investigation and evidence collection were taking place.”
Bennett and his wife expressed the desire for swifter action to bring him home.
“I adore this country. I’ve spent my entire 57 years here. More needs to be done for Canadians,” Bennett emphasized. “There were moments where I felt abandoned, where no one was truly advocating for me.”
The couple is now concentrating on recuperating and moving forward. They believe no one should be left in legal limbo overseas, especially after charges are dropped.
