Police have charged four people under the Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) and issued 28 COVID-19-related Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) for offences within the past 24 hours.
Yesterday’s charges:
- A woman has been charged after allegedly assaulting and spitting on two security officers at a hospital in Darlinghurst yesterday. About 3.50pm(Saturday 25 April 2020), a 28-year-old woman was at St Vincent’s Hospital seeking treatment and allegedly became frustrated with waiting. As the woman tried to leave, she allegedly assaulted a 49-year-old male security guard before spitting in the face of a second security officer, a 48-year-old man. Officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command were notified and attended the hospital. The woman was arrested and taken to Kings Cross Police Station, where she was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and not comply noticed direction re spitting/coughing – COVID-19. The Surry Hills woman was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday 30 June 2020.
- About 4:30pm, officers from Sydney City PAC were called to World Square to assist paramedics, when a 23-year-old woman became aggressive and allegedly spat on one of the officers. She was treated at St Vincent’s Hospital before being released and taken to Day Street Police Station. The woman was charged with assault police, and not comply noticed direction re spitting/cough – COVID-19. She has been refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court today (Sunday 26 April 2020).
- Despite two previous warnings by police and three PINs, a man has been charged for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. About 11.10pm, officers attached to Oxley Police District stopped a vehicle on Grace Street, Narrabri for the purposes of a roadside breath test. The driver, a 24-year-old man, returned a negative result but was unable to provide a reasonable excuse for not being home. Following inquiries, he was placed under arrest and taken to Narrabri Police Station where he was charged with not comply with noticed direction section 7/8/9 – COVID-19. He was refused bail to appear at Tamworth Local Court today.
- About 12.30am (Sunday 26 April 2020), police received reports of a group consuming alcohol and playing loud music at a park on Davidson Street, Warilla. Officers attached to Lake Illawarra Police District attended the location and spoke to a 20-year-old man who was unable to provide a reasonable excuse for being away from his residence. Following inquiries, police confirmed he had recently been charged for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, and prior to that had received a PIN for the same offence. He was charged with not comply with noticed direction section 7/8/9 – COVID-19 and is due to appear at Port Kembla Local Court Wednesday 24 June 2020. Two others in attendance were issued with warnings and directed to return home.
Yesterday’s PINs include:
- A man has received his second PIN in two days after repeatedly flouting ministerial directions to stay home. About 2.45am, officers attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District stopped a group of three males on Warrie Street, Gilgandra. None of them were able to provide a reasonable excuse for not being home and while two were given formal warnings, checks revealed the third, aged 18, received a warning earlier in the week and received a PIN the day prior. He was issued a $1000 PIN and the group were directed to return to their homes.
- About 9.30am, officers from Tweed/Byron Police District were patrolling Devine’s Lookout at Ocean Shores when they spoke with a 24-year-old man who was sitting in his vehicle. Police established the man had previously been warned for breaching the Public Health Act he was stopped at Murwillumbah on Tuesday (21 April) and was issued with a PIN after he was stopped at Ocean Shores about 11.35pm the same day. He has now been issued with a second $1000 PIN.
- About 2.30pm, officers from Sydney City PAC spoke with a man who was walking along Barlow Street in Haymarket. Police allege the Newcastle man said he was visiting a friend in Sydney; however, he had previously been warned for breaching the Public Health Act after he was stopped in Sydney CBD on 16 April 2020. This time he was issued with a $1000 PIN and directed to return home to Newcastle.
- About 2.55pm, officers attached to Sutherland Police Area Command stopped a Holden Utility on Farnell Avenue, Bundeena, after it was allegedly seen driving on the incorrect side of the road. The driver, a 45-year-old man from Drummoyne, and his passenger, a 42-year-old woman from Five Dock, told police they planned to attend a nearby beach. This was deemed by officers not to be essential travel and the pair were issued with $1000 PINS. The driver was also infringed for crossing unbroken lines.
- A man has been issued with a PIN after being spoken to by police for a third time in relation to his obligations under the Public Health Act. About 5pm, officers from Police Transport Command approached a 66-year-old man found sitting in a public area near Strathfield Train Station. He was unable to provide a reasonable excuse for not being home. Following inquiries, police confirmed that the man had received two previous warnings for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions and issued him with a $1000 PIN.
- About 10.40pm, officers from Surry Hills PAC stopped a 36-year-old man riding a bicycle on Campbell Street, Surry Hills, without a helmet. Police allege the man said he was going to a friend’s house; however, checks revealed the same man had been given a warning the previous day (Friday 24 April 2020), for breaching the Public Health Act. He was issued a $1000 PIN for breaching COVID restrictions and was infringed for not wearing an approved bicycle helmet.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.