Self-isolation pest who escaped her quarantine hotel to 'find Band-Aids' is fined $2,000 after fleeing again 'in search of TOWELS'
- A woman, 45, left her quarantine hotel in Brisbane on Tuesday and Wednesday
- She received a $1,300 fine for her first offence and was arrested the next day
- She was charged with failing to comply with a public health direction
- The quarantine breacher will face court in Brisbane on Thursday
A woman has spent a night behind bars and been fined $2,000 after breaching coronavirus self-quarantine at a Queensland hotel because no fresh towels were sent to her room.
Anna Carter, 45, was supposed to be in two weeks of self-isolation at the Ibis Brisbane Airport Hotel after arriving from New South Wales, Brisbane Magistrates Court was told on Thursday.
But police found her outside the hotel on Wednesday, one day after she was given a $1,300 fine for leaving her room to buy a Band-Aid.
She told officers the hotel was not replacing her towels each day and she had checked out.
A woman has spent a night behind bars and been fined $2000 after breaching coronavirus self-quarantine. Pictured: Travellers being quarantined in Brisbane
Share this article
'She had no real reason to be absent from the hotel,' a police prosecutor told the court.
'We are all aware of just how urgent the (COVID-19) situation is and the importance of self-quarantine, especially when directed to by a public health official or police.'
A day earlier, Carter was found at the Fortitude Valley railway station.
She told police she had left her room to buy a Band-Aid because she had a blister to her foot.
They returned her to the Ibis Hotel, but by 8am the next morning she had checked out.
Officers found her five hours later back in Fortitude Valley
She told police she had checked into a city hotel and was at the station to withdraw cash at an ATM.
Carter was arrested and spent the night at the police watch house in Brisbane before appearing in court, where she pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to comply with a COVID-19 direction.
Magistrate Stephen Courtney said her conduct was selfish and immature.
'Significant effort and expense have been gone to because of people like Ms Carter because the community can't be confident (they) will do the right thing,' he said.
Mr Courtney recorded a conviction and fined Carter $2000.
Pictured: Australian Defence Force personnel stood outside the Ibis Airport Hotel in Brisbane after passengers arriving from International flights were taken for quarantine
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
