A man has copped a suspended sentence after explaining that he breached COVID-19 restrictions because he urgently needed to use the toilet.
Police in South Australia arrested a 49-year-old man from the Northern Territory on 13 August at an Adelaide hotel after he had arrived in the city on a flight from Melbourne and allegedly lied to airport staff.
The man, who was identified by ABC News as Bernard Shackcloth, was charged with failing to comply with emergency management direction and pleaded guilty at Adelaide’s Magistrates Court on Monday.
Shackcloth told the court he lied to skip the COVID-19 processing queue at Adelaide Airport because he was in a hurry to use the toilet, ABC News reported.
He said he was taking medication that affected his cholesterol.
“I had All-Bran with skim milk for breakfast, so it’s good for cholesterol, but when you got to go, you got to go,” he told the court.
According to Adelaide Now, Shackcloth said he thought he was going to “soil” his pants.
“I was on the brink,” he said.
“My ears hadn’t popped, so I couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying to me. I was just agreeing with her so I could go to the toilet behind her.
“I was in dire straits … I’m only human.”
Shackcloth said he was fully vaccinated and had been in Bendigo, not Melbourne, which was in lockdown at the time.
Magistrate Christopher Smolicz said Shackcloth had every opportunity to explain that he needed to go to the toilet.
“Your actions were irresponsible, they were foolish and ultimately they put the community at risk,” Smolicz said.
Shackcloth was sentenced to 13 days in jail, which was suspended on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
Featured image source: iStock/cgdeaw
