Mr Butter Chicken unmasked: Tradie who was fined $1,652 for driving 32km to buy a curry reveals why he broke Melbourne's lockdown laws - and receives a delicious gift from his favourite restaurant
- Noel Atkinson, 48, claims to be the man who drove 32km just for butter chicken
- He was slapped with a $1,652 fine after he broke lockdown to get the curry
- The construction worker said it was the only Indian restaurant open after 11pm
- Police are growing frustrated as more residents blatantly ignore COVID-19 rules
The mystery man whose ravenous craving for an Indian takeaway cost him a $1,652 fine after he broke strict lockdown rules has been revealed.
Noel Atkinson, 48, drove 32km across from Werribee in Melbourne's west to the CBD to pick up a butter chicken from Indian restaurant Desi Dhaba on Friday night, flouting stay-at-home orders.
Despite his rather expensive takeaway meal, the curry-lover has luckiky been compensated - with a year's supply of free butter chicken from the restaurant.
The strict lockdown was re-introduced in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire on July 8 to stem the tide of rising coronavirus cases.
Noel Atkinson, 48, (pictured) was caught by police driving 32km across from Werribee in the Melbourne's west to the CBD to pick up a butter chicken from Desi Dhaba on Friday night
Mr Atkinson said as it was after 11pm all restaurants in his area were closed so he found one that was open in the CBD (stock image)
'Since it was after 11pm, all restaurants in my area were closed and I wanted to have butter chicken,' Mr Atkinson told Times Of India.
'I finally found one restaurant that was open but there was no home delivery to my place due to the distance. So I decided to go there.'
The construction worker was pulled over by police metres away from the restaurant, and was one of 74 people who were hit with fines for breaching lockdown that day.
Mr Atkinson told police he was out to buy food but he was ordered to head back home.
'Cops followed me for some time to make sure I was headed back,' he said.
There are thousands of police and military personnel at roadblocks across Melbourne, checking vehicles while the lockdown is in place.
His craving for Indian takeaway cost him a $1,652 fine after he broke Melbourne's lockdown rules (pictured, other Melbourne drivers questioned by police on the Princes Freeway)
Workers are seen wearing face masks in Melbourne on Monday (pictured) as the city endures its second lockdown, with coronavirus cases continuing to rise
Police also conducted thousands of spot checks at homes, business and public places across the state.
Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for work, food, medical reasons or for exercise.
But Mr Atkinson claims the rules are not clear enough on how far a person is allowed to travel and plans to contest his fine.
The wwner of Desi Dhaba, Amit Teteja, said he was taken aback by Mr Atkinson's dedication to getting his butter chicken - and will now provide him a year's worth for free.
Indian restaurants across the city have latched onto the trending topic by rolling out marketing campaigns for their delivery services - 'save $1,650 by staying home'.
As of 11.59pm on Wednesday everyone in Melbourne must wear a mask or face covering when leaving home (pictured, a women in a mask in Melbourne on Monday)
Since the lockdown was reinstated on July 8, more than $1million worth of fines have been given out - the equivalent of at least 700 infringements to those flouting the rules.
The total number of coronavirus deaths in Victoria is 42 and the national toll is now 126.
The state recorded 374 new cases on Tuesday, with 3,078 cases active and 174 people in hospital, 36 of whom are in intensive care.
At 11.59pm on Wednesday, a rule requiring residents of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must wear a mask or face covering when leaving home will come into effect.
People in the locked-down areas who do not wear a mask when outside their residence for one of the four allowed reasons could face a $200 fine.
