Victorian father arrested over alleged medi-hotel breach had mental health incident, daughter still in hospital quarantine
A Victorian man had a mental health episode after SA Health changed its mind about where he could quarantine, a court has heard – and took away his daughter.
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An interstate father permitted to enter SA and quarantine privately had a mental health incident and breached Covid-19 rules after being sent to a medi-hotel instead, a court has heard.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court has also heard the man’s daughter, 10, is now in hospital – but that her grandparents have volunteered to enter 14-day quarantine to secure her release.
The Victorian man, 42, whom The Advertiser has chosen not to identify, appeared in court on Wednesday by video link – partially dressed – following his arrest on Tuesday.
SA Police had attended an undisclosed CBD hotel about 1pm that day following reports a person inside been involved in an “internal breach” of quarantine.
They arrested the man and charged him with one count of failing to comply with a direction under the Emergency Management Act.
The man’s daughter, who was residing with him at the hotel, was taken by SA Ambulance paramedics and placed into the care of SA Health.
In court on Wednesday, Bill Morris, for the man, said his client wanted to plead guilty and “have the matter finalised”, but conceded he had reservations about that course.
“My client came from Victoria, with his daughter, with permission to lawfully enter the state,” he said.
“He has a home here, that he has had built by remote control from Victoria … he has mental health issues and a full-time carer.
“That carer lives a few doors down from the home he has had built, and his application was for his family to quarantine at that home.”
Mr Morris said that application was granted by SA Health, but then a second “fresh” application was sought.
“They instead directed he and his daughter spend quarantine in hotel accommodation, and it is there he has got into mental health difficulty,” he said.
“It’s not the case that he was wandering around in the community, it’s considered an ‘internal breach’.”
He asked for time to speak further with his client and seek medical reports before finalising the matter.
“My client’s daughter is in hospital because she’s still in quarantine … she is a lovely, robust young girl of 10 who’s handling this marvellously well,” he said.
“I understand she’s going to be released to her grandparents and spend the rest of her quarantine with them.
“They will voluntarily go into quarantine with her.”
Police prosecutors did not oppose the adjournment, and Magistrate Karim Soetratma remanded the man in custody for two weeks.